The Slovenian Knowledge Network for the Western Balkans now connects Slovenian experts with experience and knowledge about the region and opens up space for strategic reflection on Slovenia’s future role.
On the sidelines of the Bled Strategic Forum 2026, Think Europe (Evropa misli) and the Center for European Perspective (CEP) organized the inaugural strategic discussion of the Slovenian Knowledge Network for the Western Balkans. The meeting, held at Hotel Rikli Balance in Bled, brought together representatives from diplomacy, business, public administration, the security sector, academia, and other experts on the Western Balkans.
The purpose of the meeting was to open up space for an open, in-depth, and practically oriented reflection on Slovenia’s presence and influence in the region — on where Slovenia is currently making good use of its potential, where it is not, which lessons from past decades may be relevant for the future, and in which areas Slovenian engagement could be strengthened.
From diagnosis to priority actions
Participants first examined the current state of Slovenia’s presence in the region through five aspects: political presence and influence, economic presence, support for the Western Balkans’ EU accession process, Slovenian knowledge about the region, and the coherence and coordination of the state’s approach.
The central part of the meeting took place in smaller groups using an adapted World Café methodology. The discussion was structured in three steps: diagnosis of the current situation, a forward-looking perspective, and setting priorities.
Special emphasis was placed on exchanging concrete experiences, observations, and proposals. The goal was not to reach a single, unified view on all issues, but to capture the participants’ diverse knowledge from different backgrounds and combine it into a shared reflection on Slovenia’s future engagement in the region — which will soon be presented in the form of a report with concrete proposals for Slovenia’s future action in the region.
By establishing the network, Europe Thinks and CEP aim to contribute to building a more lasting cross-sectoral framework and expert network for the Western Balkans, and to strengthen Slovenia’s position as a relevant and trusted partner in the region.