The Secretary General Alain Berset of the Council of Europe, will visit Slovenia from 31 August to 1 September 2026, engaging in high-level discussions and participating in the Bled Strategic Forum 2026 held under the title "The power to shape the future".
The visit will focus on strengthening democratic security and withstanding democratic backsliding in Europe, to make it more resilient to internal and external shocks. Europe's support to Ukraine in the context of Russia's war of aggression will be another central topic of discussions.
Security issues to be discussed with European leaders
During the official visit, Secretary General Berset will hold bilateral meetings with senior officials, including Nataša Pirc Musar, President of Slovenia, Janez Janša, Prime Minister of Slovenia, Tone Kajzer, Minister for Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia, and Zoran Stevanović, President of the National Assembly.
Bilateral meetings with Andrej Babiš, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, and Florian Hahn, Minister of State at the German Federal Foreign Office, are foreseen on the margins of the Forum.
Peace without illusions: Ukraine and Europe's security reckoning
On 1 September 2026, the Secretary General will participate in the session "Peace without illusions: Ukraine and Europe's security reckoning".
The Secretary General's intervention will focus on the Council of Europe's work to ensure justice and accountability for Ukraine via the Special Tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine and a comprehensive compensation mechanism currently being established, as well as the efforts to reinforce democratic security in the country through a new action plan for Ukraine 2027-30.
Slovenia has been a member of the Council of Europe since 14 May 1993. The country actively contributes to numerous Council of Europe initiatives and is party to over 100 Council of Europe conventions.
