The 16th edition of the 2BS (To Be Secure) Forum was held in Budva on 23 October under the title “A Decade of Results: Montenegro and the Western Balkans in Europe’s New Security Era”. The annual security forum focused on key European and regional security challenges, the future of Euro-Atlantic cooperation and concrete steps to strengthen the resilience of democratic societies and governance in the digital age, with particular emphasis on security and hybrid threats. The Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs was represented by State Secretary Frano Matušić and Special Adviser to the Minister Vanda Babić Galić.
Speaking on a panel dedicated to Montenegro, EU enlargement policy and the Western Balkans, Matušić stressed the importance of meeting the conditions for resolving outstanding issues covered by the negotiating chapters, underlining Croatia’s support for Montenegro in achieving its objectives. He noted that, without Croatia’s support and backing within the European Union, Montenegro would not have opened its negotiating chapters or provisionally closed a substantial number of them. He also stressed that the accession process requires candidate countries to receive equal support from all EU Member States. Regarding the future and prospects of the Western Balkans, he said that EU membership had no viable alternative, given its importance for the security and stability of the region and for realising the full potential of integrating democratic values and standards into policies and societies. “The Republic of Croatia’s support for its neighbours on this path is unquestionable,” Matušić said.
At a separate panel entitled “2BS Forum Unscripted”, Babić Galić addressed what she described as a misleading public narrative about Croatia’s relations with Montenegro. She referred to outstanding issues relating to the “Morinj package” and the ongoing discussions on the Jadran training ship, succession and the border. She stressed that the Jadran was only the tip of the iceberg when it came to military succession, adding that this issue should serve as a link between the two countries rather than a source of division.
This year’s 2BS Forum took place as the North Atlantic Alliance marks 20 years of its presence in Montenegro. It brought together senior participants from the European Union, representatives of NATO and the Council of Europe, officials from Croatia and neighbouring countries, security experts, and representatives of academia and civil society.
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