📋 Tender Overview
State Secretary dr. Stanislav Rascan appeared on the panel on economic cooperation between Europe and India at the 21st Bled Strategic Forum and held several bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the forum.State Secretary Stanislav Rascan at the panel on cooperation between Europe and India. | Author: Bled Strategic Forum
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At the panel on economic cooperation between Europe and India, he emphasized the rapid growth of trade between Slovenia and India and the great untapped potential for the further increase of trade, especially Slovenian exports. He emphasized the importance of direct political, economic and interpersonal contacts and opportunities for Slovenian companies in niche sectors, including in the field of aviation, security and defence. He also presented Slovenia as a possible connecting point between India, the EU and the countries of the Western Balkans.
On the sidelines of the forum, he met with the State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of Slovakia, Rastislav Chovanc, with whom they discussed bilateral relations in an open and constructive conversation, paying special attention to strengthening economic cooperation and connecting Slovenian and Slovak small and medium-sized enterprises. State Secretary Chovanec expressed interest in deepening Slovakias participation at the MOS International Craft Fair in Celje and invited Slovenian companies to the Three Seas Initiative Business Forum, which will be held in Slovakia in the spring of 2027.
Rascan welcomed a delegation of representatives of the political and public life of Latin America, including former high political officials and foreign policy experts: Humberto Calderon Berti, former president of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bolivia, Ernesto Araujo, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brazil, Marcelo Martin Matzkin, member of the Chamber of Deputies of Argentina, Alejandro Pena Esclusa, writer and expert on the geopolitics of Latin America. He discussed with them the strengthening of economic cooperation with the countries of the region, especially in the field of trade, investments and logistics, and the search for new business opportunities for Slovenian companies in Latin American markets.
At a meeting with the director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), Aarti Holla-Maini, the latter praised Slovenias active participation in the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS), which is currently chaired by Slovenia. The interlocutors emphasized the importance of the participation of smaller countries in space management and the fact that Slovenia is already recognized in the region as a leading country in this field. They agreed that such a role can significantly contribute to opportunities for Slovenian companies active in the field of space technologies.
With the head of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) representative office for Central and South-Eastern Europe, Nicole Epting, he spoke mainly about the possibilities of how Slovenia can contribute to solving the refugee problem at the source and to strengthening the conditions for a safe and dignified life of people in their homelands.
He also met with Robert Vass, founder and president of GLOBSEC, and Milan Solar, the organizations director of external relations. With the interlocutors, he mainly discussed the deepening of cooperation between the Bled Strategic Forum and GLOBSEC.
State Secretary dr. Rascan, together with the former Minister of Foreign Affairs dr. Dimitrije Ruple appeared in the show Studio ob 17, which was broadcast live from Bled by Radio Slovenia. In the show, they recalled the beginnings of the Bled Strategic Forum and talked about the current challenges of Slovenian foreign policy, security, EU expansion, cooperation in Central Europe and opportunities to strengthen cooperation with Latin America and India. They also emphasized the importance of Slovenias active role in co-shaping international relations at a time of major geopolitical changes.
