The Atlantic Council of Montenegro (ACM), under the auspices of the Government of Montenegro, and with the support of NATO, the U.S. Embassy in Montenegro, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, and a number of respectable partners organized the 14th 2BS Forum on October 3-4, 2024.
Under the theme World in Disorder: Turning Adversity into Opportunity, the 14th 2BS (To Be Secure) Forum brought together over 400 political leaders, diplomats, security experts, professors, and thought leaders from more than 25 countries, to addressed some of the major issues of geopolitics, international relations, and security.
Its goal was to encourage vivid discussion regarding the most important dilemmas in the fi eld of geopolitics and upcoming challenges and possible changes in international politics and security. This year’s forum has managed to justify, more than ever before, its high standards set during previous years and has remained the platform for political, expert, critical, and constructive discussions. Once again, the 2BS Forum succeeded in ACM’s effort to fulfi ll one of the main goals – to encourage signifi cant discussions with key security and foreign policy fi gures who provided a wide range of opinions on the most important issues in the fi eld of national, regional and international security and other crucial topics for Europe and the world at large.
The 2BS Forum speakers addressed some of the most pressing issues of national, regional and global security challenges across the following main topics:
Fractured World: Battleground Echoes explored the ongoing crises in Ukraine, Gaza, and rising tensions in the Indo-Pacifi c. Focusing on confronting the resurgence of terrorism, disinformation, and foreign interference in an evolving global security landscape .
Balkan World: Building Future and Security Posture Amid Geopolitical Challenges discussed the Western Balkans’ struggle with Russian and Chinese infl uence, political polarization, and democratic crises. Limited progress in EU integration, with the region’s stability remaining precarious due to anti-Western sentiment and unresolved issues .
Allied World: Guiding Strategic Resilience in the Face of Uncertainties highlighted NATO’s critical role in maintaining unity amid growing threats. With NATO’s 75th anniversary coinciding with signifi cant global security challenges, the forum emphasized the need to reassess defense strategies to ensure long-term resilience .
U.S. World: Europe’s Strategy Redux in a Post-Election Landscape? refl ected on potential shifts in U.S. strategic priorities post-election, concerns about burden-shifting and the future alignment between U.S. and European security policies.
By bringing together diverse perspectives and expertise, the 2BS Forum reaffi rmed the importance of international cooperation and strategic thinking in navigating the complex challenges of our increasingly fractured world. As geopolitical tensions continue to evolve, events like the 2BS Forum play a crucial role in fostering understanding, collaboration, and innovative approaches to global security challenges.