XI. Global Baku Forum: Fixing the Fractured World
V Azerbajdžanu se je z nagovorom predsednika Alijeva pričel letošnji XI. Global Baku Forum z naslovom “Fixing the Fractured World”. Na forumu so sodelovali udeleženci iz več kot 70 držav sveta, med njimi tudi naš ustanovitelj in direktor Borut Pahor. Razprava o EU in sosedstvu, ki jo je vodil Pahor, je ponudila eno pomembno soglasje vseh sogovornikov: da se mora pretežno tehnični proces širitve EU spremeniti v pretežno političnega. Le tako bo Evropska unija lahko dovolj hitro in dovolj učinkovito odgovorila na geopolitične razmere, ki so v Evropi in svetu nastale po ruski agresiji na Ukrajino februarja 2022.
Bivši predsednik Pahor se je ob robu foruma sestal s kitajskim poslovnežem in gostiteljem foruma Imperial Springs dr. Chau Chak Wing. Zahvalil se mu je za povabilo na to veliko mednarodno konferenco, ki se je je pred kratkim udeležil. V dolgem in odkritem pogovoru sta spregovorila o zaskrbljujočem upadanju zaupanja med Kitajsko in Zahodom in potrdila zavezanost dialogu in medsebojnemu spoštovanju. Spregovorila sta tudi o njunem nadaljnjem sodelovanju.
Ob robu foruma izražamo zadovoljstvo, da se je Svetovalnemu odboru zavoda Prijatelji Zahodnega Balkana pridružila ambasadorka Susan Elliott, predsednica/direktorica National Committee on American Foreign Policy. Zavod ima tako 17 članov iz 15 držav iz regije, EU, Turčije in ZDA. Susan Elliott je dolgoletna poznavalka regije, vse od njenega prvega obiska porušenega Sarajeva v letu 1995 naprej. Delu zavoda se bo pridružila že na mednarodni konferenci v aprilu. Tako sta se z ustanoviteljem in direktorjem Pahorjem dogovorila ob robu foruma v Bakuju.
In Azerbaijan, the XI. Global Baku Forum, titled “Fixing the Fractured World,” commenced with a keynote address by President Aliyev. The forum hosted participants from over 70 countries, including our founder and director, Borut Pahor. The discussion on the European Union and its neighborhood, moderated by Pahor, offered one important consensus of all interlocutors: the predominantly technical process of EU enlargement must change to a predominantly political one.Only in this way will the European Union be able to respond quickly enough and effectively enough to the geopolitical situation that arose in Europe and the world after the Russian aggression against Ukraine in February 2022.
Former President Pahor also met on the sidelines of the forum with Chinese entrepreneur and ‘Imperial Springs’ forum host Dr. Chau Chak Wing. He thanked him for the invitation to this significant international conference, which he recently attended. During a long and candid discussion, they addressed the concerning decline in trust between China and the West and reaffirmed their commitment to dialogue and mutual respect. They also discussed prospects for their continued cooperation.
On the sidelines of the forum, we are pleased to announce that Ambassador Susan Elliott, President/CEO of the National Committee on American Foreign Policy, has joined the Advisory Board of the Friends of the Western Balkans. The institute now comprises 17 members from 15 countries across the region, the EU, Turkey, and the United States. Susan Elliott is a long-time expert on the region, dating back to her first visit to war-torn Sarajevo in 1995. She will join the institute’s work at the upcoming international conference in April, as agreed with founder and director Pahor during the forum in Baku.
