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The Minister further explained that, once again, Bled plays host to top international policy makers, private sector leaders and experts in the field of geopolitics, including the former U.S. Secretary of State, Colin L. Powell, the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Belgium, Yves Leterme, the Secretary-General of the League of the Arab States, Amer Moussa, the Minister of National Defence of Canada, Peter Gordon MacKay, the Minister of State for External Affairs of the Republic of India, Preneet Kaur, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federative Republic of Brazil, Antonio de Aguiar Patriota, the European Commissioner for the Environment, Janez Potočnik, the Chair of the Reflection Group, Felipe González, and the Deputy Secretary-General of the OECD, Richard A. Boucher.

"The Forum provides policy makers, entrepreneurs and experts with an opportunity to observe the analytical deliberations of leading politicians, academics and business people regarding current developments and projections for the future in the political, economic and energy sectors," stated Minister Žbogar. The Forum has become firmly established on the list of European conferences; it no longer needs introduction and many are already familiar with it.

The main priority of the Foreign Ministry remains the provision of diplomatic assistance in seeking new business opportunities, and the Bled Strategic Forum is a unique opportunity for promoting local companies, their knowledge and entrepreneurs' thoughts.

Under the title "The Global Outlook for the Next Decade", the Forum dealt with some of the major challenges of the decade: energy transition, the water challenge, re-vitalisation of the economy, and the transformative power of the Internet. The main panel tackled the global challenges of the next decade. As Minister Žbogar pointed out, the panellists agreed that in order to meet the challenges and problems of the international community in a comprehensive and effective manner, it is necessary to strengthen global cooperation, adapt existing institutions to the new realities or establish new institutions.

The main panel was followed by the "EU in a Multipolar World" panel, with participants agreeing on the need to deepen the political integration of Member States in order to develop European military and civilian capabilities. Europe must be more actively involved in crisis regions and should proceed with its model of regional integration. The world expects the EU to evolve into not only an economic but also an important international political player. This will only be the case if European institutions are given more powers in political decision-making, and not just in the coordination of national policies. However, prescience, the courage of European politicians and public support is crucial.

At the invitation of the American Chamber of Commerce in Slovenia, Bled yesterday hosted Colin Powell. He stressed the importance of maintaining optimism in addressing problems which now seem to have no solution. There are no more "super powers" but rather partners in the modern world, he said. The generation of wealth is a prerequisite for a safe future, while jobs are necessary to provide people with basic dignity.
During the night-owl session, the panel speakers agreed that innovations are the key to exiting the economic crisis – carefully selected investment, reforms and sound intentions to innovate are essential. The panel was organised in cooperation with the OECD.

The special attention of the Forum was, once again, dedicated to the Western Balkans. Two panels dealt with the region: "Trust (in) the Balkans" and "Reconnecting the Balkans through business, energy and transport". The debate on the Balkans highlighted the need for a strong political will to establish confidence and resolve pressing issues in the region. "I am pleased that the speakers on the Panel have shown the awareness that good neighbourly relations are vital for the development of the region and its accession to the EU. If the partner countries of the Western Balkans are capable of resolving critical issues, building mutual confidence and making compromises, their credibility in the eyes of the European public and politicians - who will decide on further EU enlargement - will increase", said Minister Žbogar.

A special panel addressed the issue of "Regional security challenges and cooperation in Central Asia". One of the panellists was also a representative of the OSCE chairing country, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Konstantin Zhigalov.

Today, an interesting morning panel tackled the issue of water supply. Water is a cross-cutting theme of global challenges as it interlinks the issues of human security, international stability, sustainable development and climate change. Water management requires a comprehensive, across-the-board approach at various levels. The linking of global dialogue with regional solutions is a foreign policy challenge and the very essence of water diplomacy, stressed Minister Žbogar.

An interesting panel discussion on the topic of the Internet also features on the Forum's agenda, added Minister Žbogar. Twenty years have passed since the introduction of the Internet, which has so drastically changed the way we work. The panel brought together experts and entrepreneurs, who analysed the trends of a future global network.

A very timely afternoon discussion addressed the issue of "Transition to New Energy". The panel gathered representatives of companies engaged in new energy sources, such as analysts, and representatives of international organisations.

"This panel was also attended by the representatives from the Forum's main sponsors – BISOL and BMW," added Minister Žbogar, and thanked both companies, as well as many other Slovenian businesses, which financially supported this major international conference. Furthermore, the Minister pointed out that the costs of implementing the Forum are covered mainly by sponsorships and donations so "we are especially grateful to the Slovenian companies that decided to support this conference." He finally expressed special thanks to the co-organiser, the Centre for European Perspective.