The Skopje Security Forum 2026, titled “Architects of Stability: The Security Identity of the Western Balkans,” will be held on June 15, 2026, at the Assembly of the Republic of North Macedonia, in the Hall under the Big Dome. The event begins at 09:30, and the working language is English.
The forum will bring together representatives of the academic community, state institutions, the diplomatic corps, international organizations, security experts, media, and civil society, with the aim of opening a strategic dialogue on the role of the Western Balkans in the European security architecture.
This year’s theme places the region in the context of contemporary geopolitical challenges, hybrid threats, disinformation, great-power competition, energy security, and the need for strengthened regional cooperation and resilience.
The opening session is expected to include addresses by representatives of the Assembly, the Government, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, the academic community, and the Delegation of the European Union in North Macedonia. The keynote speech will be delivered by Prof. Dr. Julian Chifu from the Center for Conflict Prevention and Early Warning in Romania.
The first panel, “Geopolitics of the Western Balkans and the Idea of European Security Identification of the Region,” will be moderated by Jabir Deralla of CIVIL Media. The panel will bring together experts and diplomats from Poland, North Macedonia, Serbia, Romania, and Austria.
The second panel will focus on “The Clash of Big Powers at Europe’s Periphery,” while the third will address “Resilience, Polycrises and Hybrid Threats.”
The forum is organized by the University “St. Kliment Ohridski” – Bitola and the University of Tetova. The Skopje Security Forum 2026 is taking place at a time when the security debate in Europe is strongly shaped by Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the rise of hybrid threats, and the need to treat the Western Balkans not only as a region in the process of integration, but also as an important part of European stability, democratic resilience, and security.