On February 27, 2025, the international conference “Geopolitics of energy in the Western Balkans – challenges and perspectives” was held in Belgrade, jointly organized by the Institute for Political Studies and the Faculty of International Politics and Security of the University “Union-Nikola Tesla”. The meeting brought together numerous experts from Serbia, Russia, Azerbaijan, and Italy to analyze how the issues of energy security and transition are shaped today in a wider geopolitical framework.
Members of the Center for Geopolitical Studies, led by Professor Dr Violeta Rašković Talović, director of the Center and dean of the Faculty of International Politics and Security, while Tanja Kazić played the role of moderator of the event.
In the introductory part, the Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Serbia, Kamil Khasiyev, underlined the importance of regional cooperation in the field of energy, pointing out that a stable and sustainable energy infrastructure is the basis of the political and economic stability of any country.
Speaking on behalf of the organizer, Professor Rašković Talović emphasized that energy security and transition are among the most important topics of international politics today, because they directly affect the development, foreign policy, and security strategies of states. She reminded that Serbia is investing efforts in diversifying sources and strengthening energy cooperation in the region, thereby actively participating in the global trends of energy transformation.
During the conference, the perspectives of regional cooperation, the development of energy infrastructure, and the role of academic institutions in shaping energy policy were discussed. At the end, the monograph of Professor Dr Andrei Baranov, while dr Marija Đorić from the Institute for Political Studies pointed out that such gatherings are crucial for the exchange of knowledge and the creation of sustainable models of energy security.
The conference was deemed as a successful contribution to the understanding of the geopolitical and economic dimensions of energy in the Western Balkans, but also as an incentive to strengthen cooperation between the academic community and decision makers.
