2-day Black Sea and Balkans Security Forum starts Thursday in Bucharest

The ninth Black Sea and Balkans Security Forum started on Thursday in Bucharest, bringing together nearly 200 officials, diplomats, military personnel, and analysts to discuss regional security challenges.

The two-day event, organized by the New Strategy Center, a prominent Romanian think tank, in partnership with Romania's National Defense Ministry, will take place at a top hotel in the Romanian capital.

The Romanian Foreign Ministry serves as an institutional partner, while Bucharest’s University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine are the academic partners.

With 50 panels featuring 198 speakers from EU and NATO member states and partnering countries, the forum will focus on security issues affecting the extended Black Sea and Balkans region.

Key themes include the transatlantic relationship and US military presence recalibration in Europe, prospects for peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, and Moldova's EU integration.

Organizers say the forum aims to promote security and prosperity in the Black Sea and Balkans region by fostering an environment conducive to trade, connectivity, and the exploitation of energy resources.

Complete details about speakers and the conference program are available on the forum's official website at https://2bsecurityforum.ro.