Participation of Ana Krstinovska at the 2BS Forum 2025 – The Age of Transformation in Montenegro, 03-04.10.2025

At the 2BS Forum – The Age of Transformation organized by the Atlantic Council of Montenegro, one of the most prominent regional gatherings on security and strategic affairs in the Balkans, Dr. Ana Krstinovska (Research Fellow, South-East Europe Programme – ELIAMEP & Senior Researcher at ELIAMEP’s initiative think nea – New Narratives of EU Integration) addressed the audience as a speaker of a panel dedicated to China’s global presence and influence operations, with a particular focus on Southeast Europe.

In her remarks, she emphasized that countries in the region, many of which aspire to join the European Union and are already members of NATO, cannot remain geopolitically neutral or maintain an equal distance in their relations with China. She highlighted that their strategic alignment with the Euro-Atlantic community is not merely a matter of policy, but one rooted in shared values such as freedom, democracy, and universal human rights, which often stand in contrast to the principles China upholds and promotes globally.

Dr. Krstinovska’s intervention contributed to a timely and critical discussion on the region’s geopolitical positioning and the broader implications of global power competition for Southeast Europe’s democratic trajectory and international commitments.