The opening ceremony of Slovenia’s biggest foreign policy event was addressed by outgoing Prime Minister Miro Cerar. He looked for ways to bridge the divide, the main topic of this year’s forum. Foreign Minister Karl Erjavec meanwhile looked back at the history of the event. Also attending the Bled Strategic Forum is Michel Barnier, EU's Chief Brexit Negotiator, who today met several Slovenian officials to discuss the final stages of Brexit talks. Barnier said he expects the talks to successfully end in November. Cerar reiterated Slovenia's position that the EU's negotiating position must be firm, but noted Slovenia must make every effort to maintain friendly relations with Britain.
The 13th Bled Strategic Forum will feature 24 panels seeking answers to questions that arise because of deepening political, economic and technological divides. Some 1,000 guests from more than 60 countries are expected to take part in this year's forum.