Global Baku Forum 2025: Leaders address geopolitical challenges and regional security

euronews (in English)

In this episode of Focus, we attended the 12th Baku Global Forum, where over 50 world leaders and experts gathered in Azerbaijan to discuss global security, EU integration and post-conflict reconstruction amid shifting geopolitical dynamics.

Transcript

00:00The potential of the forum actually is reflected in the names of the participants.

00:07We have more than 50 heads of state and government from different countries,

00:13so people with great experience, knowledge, expertise.

00:18And of course, as we can see even from the opening session,

00:22there are just a combination of opinions, and they do not coincide, which is good.

00:28I'm sure that at the panels, the discussions will be even hotter.

00:33So all this forum generates ideas and is very instrumental in elaborating of new approaches to international issues.

00:51The 12th Global Baku Forum opened at Gulistan Palace in Azerbaijan to a full audience

00:56as the conference continues to grow year on year.

00:59This year's theme was rethinking world order, turning challenges into opportunities.

01:04And with geopolitics dominating headlines around the world, there was plenty to discuss.

01:10I do believe that nowadays what we are facing as a biggest challenge is that we are in crossroads

01:19of defending our values that we cherish.

01:27freedom, democracy, human dignity, justice.

01:34It's something that we have to protect and nowadays those values are under the test.

01:46Tested by the conflicts, tested by the immigration, tested by the war, tested by the misinformation.

01:56So we have to protect our values.

01:59President Bigaj went on to discuss his hopes for Albania joining a unified EU.

02:05Albanians have 34 years dreaming and aspiring to be a European country.

02:12all the six Western countries, I think, have to have that aspiration.

02:21We strongly believe that the European Union is a project of peace, prosperity, sustainable development and security.

02:32Not only for Albania, but for the entire region.

02:36Speakers shared their thoughts on rebuilding for peace, post-conflict reconstruction and regional stability,

02:42something pertinent to the South Caucasus.

02:45It's important to protect the region from any crises around us.

02:51Unfortunately, the region of the South Caucasus for decades was an area of confrontation and hostility.

02:58So now we have relatively quiet periods, so we need to concentrate on that, to build security mechanisms that will be inclusive,

03:11to eliminate any threat of another military confrontation and to try to live in neighborhoods as we used to in the times of Soviet Union.

03:25Yes, we were not independent countries. We could not actually plan our future.

03:30We were largely dependent on the Soviet center.

03:35But at least there was active interaction between the South Caucasian republics.

03:42For this region, it's very important not to be late with respect to geopolitical transformation

03:51and to concentrate on our regional problems and regional opportunities.

03:57And the challenge of stability wasn't limited to the South Caucasus.

04:01Former President of Montenegro Milo Dukanovic discussed the issue further afield.

04:07This is definitely a challenge for the region.

04:12And it is a permanent challenge for the Western Balkans.

04:15The fact is, we have missed the opportunity in the last few decades.

04:19When there was an opportunity for the Western Balkans to quickly integrate in the EU, secure its stability and define a democratic perspective.

04:32This is the challenge for political decision makers in the Western Balkans.

04:37But in my opinion, it's about the future of Europe in the new geopolitical context.

04:42The forum drew to a close after three days of successful interaction and debate,

04:47with a general consensus that it continues to foster a deeper understanding of today's global challenges and potential solutions moving forwards.

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