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Balkan SAYS – Security Architecture Youth Seminar
An international youth conference bringing together students and young professionals from the Western Balkans and the Euro-Atlantic area to discuss key regional and global security challenges. Balkan SAYS – Security Architecture Youth Seminar is youth oriented, security seminar, which goal is to connect youth from the region and beyond, discuss relevant security related topics, and search for fresh views and solutions to the most pressing regional issues from the youth perspective.

09/09/2026

⏰ 𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐍! ⏰

The moment we've all been waiting for is almost here! 🤩 We are less than 24 hours 🕒 away from the 14th Balkan SAYS!

The chairs are set, speakers are ready, and our team is putting the final touches on what promises to be an incredible three days of discussions, networking, and collaboration on the future of the Euro-Atlantic area.

04/09/2026

Balkan SAYS 2026 starts in a couple of days! 🙌

To connect all participants in advance, we have prepared a WhatsApp group 📱 where we will share important information and communicate throughout the event.

Links were sent via email in August. Don't forget to check your inbox and join the group to start networking with fellow participants before the event begins!

Final preparations are underway, and we look forward to welcoming you all. Stay tuned and see you soon! 😃

26/08/2026

🔍 [𝐎𝐍𝐄-𝐎𝐍-𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐓𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓] 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐜𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐧 𝐄𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐎𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫

Diplomacy has always adapted to changes in the international order. But today, the conditions under which it operates are shifting rapidly. Multilateral institutions are under pressure, great-power competition is intensifying, and direct bilateral deal-making increasingly challenges established diplomatic practices.

In this exclusive one-on-one discussion, participants will gain first-hand insights from a distinguished guest on how diplomacy is adapting to a more fragmented world, what these changes mean for smaller states, and how technology, including AI and cyber capabilities, is reshaping modern statecraft.

The conversation will also look ahead to what the next generation of diplomats and foreign policy professionals will need to navigate an increasingly complex and unpredictable international environment. 💡

23/08/2026

🔍 [𝐎𝐍𝐄-𝐎𝐍-𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐓𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓] 𝐄𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞’𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐑𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐁𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐎𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫

The Western Balkans can no longer be viewed simply as a distant enlargement project. In an increasingly fragmented and competitive international order, the region has become part of Europe’s immediate strategic reality, where questions of stability, external influence, enlargement credibility, and geopolitical alignment increasingly intersect.

In this exclusive one-on-one discussion, participants will gain first-hand insights from a distinguished guest on whether Europe is adapting quickly enough to these realities, how the EU can reconcile geopolitical urgency with democratic and rule-of-law standards, and what prolonged uncertainty over enlargement could mean for both the region and Europe itself.

The conversation will also reflect on Slovenia’s role as a bridge between the EU and the Western Balkans, and on what a more credible, consistent, and strategically engaged European approach to the region should look like. 💡

16/08/2026

🔍 [𝐏𝐀𝐍𝐄𝐋 𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐓𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓] 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐖𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐄𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡? 𝐇𝐲𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐮𝐫𝐨-𝐀𝐭𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞

Hybrid threats increasingly shape the Euro-Atlantic security environment below the threshold of conventional conflict. From disinformation and cyber operations to economic pressure and critical infrastructure dependencies, external actors continue to exploit vulnerabilities across societies and institutions, with the Western Balkans particularly exposed.

This panel will examine how external actors exploit the information environment, how hybrid threats challenge deterrence thresholds, and where the most critical vulnerabilities lie. It will also explore how emerging technologies are transforming the grey zone and creating new avenues for interference and coercion.

Ultimately, the discussion will ask: are our institutions, policies, and capabilities resilient enough, and what must NATO, the EU, and their partners do to stay ahead? 💡

13/08/2026

🔍 [𝐏𝐀𝐍𝐄𝐋 𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐓𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓] 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐁𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐓𝐞𝐬𝐭: 𝐄𝐔 𝐄𝐧𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲

The Western Balkans remain a key test of Europe’s strategic credibility. Persistent institutional weaknesses, unresolved tensions, and external influence continue to shape the region’s trajectory, while EU enlargement is increasingly caught between geopolitical necessity and adherence to accession criteria.

This panel will examine whether developments in the Western Balkans can generate wider risks for European security, how institutional fragility, corruption, organised crime, and unresolved political disputes affect regional stability, and what role external actors play in shaping these dynamics.

Finally, the discussion will confront a central dilemma for Europe: how can the EU preserve a credible, merit-based enlargement process while preventing prolonged stagnation from undermining stability and its own influence in the region? 💡

06/08/2026

🔍 [𝐏𝐀𝐍𝐄𝐋 𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐓𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓] 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲: 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐖𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬?

Making commitments is one thing; delivering on them is another. Following the 2026 Ankara Summit, the Alliance has entered a new phase focused on turning increased defence investment into tangible capabilities.

This panel will examine the challenges of implementing NATO’s Capability Targets and Defence Investment Pledge and how they will reshape European defence over the next decade. It will also explore how the EU can support capability development and strengthen the European pillar within NATO.

Finally, the discussion will assess Europe’s defence industry, persisting challenges, and how smaller Allies can contribute meaningfully to collective defence while meeting national capability needs. 💡

01/08/2026

🔍 [𝐏𝐀𝐍𝐄𝐋 𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐓𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓] 𝐀 𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬? 𝐄𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞'𝐬 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐎𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲

The rules-based international order is under growing pressure. As norms erode and great power competition intensifies, Europe faces a fundamental question: are we shifting toward a balance-of-power or “concert-style” system, or do institutions and rules still shape state behaviour?

This panel will examine what this shift means for smaller European states, how growing uncertainty in the transatlantic bond affects Europe’s security, and whether Europe is ready to take greater responsibility.

It will also explore whether NATO and the EU can function effectively in this environment, or whether internal divergence limits their ability to respond—and what this implies for Europe’s future security order. 💡

23/07/2026

📩 𝐁𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐀𝐘𝐒 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐬

The selection process has been completed. All applicants were notified of the outcome by email on 17 July.

✅ Please check your inbox for an email from YATA Slovenia. Selected applicants must 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝘆 𝟮𝟳 𝗝𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 by following the instructions provided in the email.

If you have not received the message, please check your spam/junk folder or contact us.

⏳ Applicants placed on the waiting list will receive an update regarding their application status on 29 July 2026.

We look forward to welcoming you to Ljubljana this September! 🤝

19/07/2026

This is a snap from Balkan SAYS 2025, where we hosted participants from over 22 countries! 🌍

It was a truly incredible gathering of minds, all united by a shared interest in Euro-Atlantic security. The connections made, ideas exchanged, and collaborations formed continue to shape security discussions across the region.

Balkan SAYS 2026 is shaping up to be even more dynamic this year! 🙌

Applicants have been notified about the outcome of their application by e-mail and must confirm their participation by 𝟮𝟳 𝗝𝘂𝗹𝘆 📩. Don't forget to check and follow the instructions. Applicants on the waiting list will be notified on 𝟮𝟵 𝗝𝘂𝗹𝘆.

See you in September! 🤩

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Kardeljeva Ploščad 5
Ljubljana
1000

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