Co-organizers: E.L.E.C. Bulgaria and the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS)
The conference will be held under the patronage of President Iliana Iotova
9:00
Registration & Welcome coffee
10:00
Official opening, Welcome addresses, Keynote speech:
- Official opening Prof. Branimir Botev, Vice President of ELEC International, President ELEC- Bulgaria
- Welcome addresses by H.E. Mrs. Iliana Iotova, President of the Republic of Bulgaria
- Welcome addresses by Mr. Javier Arias President of ELEC International
- Welcome address by Corr. Member., prof. Evelina Slavcheva, Chairman of BAS
- Welcome address by Mr. Feridun Sinirlioğlu, OSCE Secretary General*
- Keynote Speech by Minister Dimitar Stoyanov, Minister of Defence
- Keynote Speech by Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev, Minister of Interior
- Keynote Speech by Deputy Minister Hristo Polendakov, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Keynote Speech by Tzvetelina Borislavova, Chair of the Supervisory Board of BACB
- Keynote Speech by General Christophe Gomart, Member of the European Parliament and Vice-Chair of the Committee on Security and Defence
- Keynote Speech by Mr. Michael Fazekas, Executive Coordinator of the Southeast European Cooperative Initiative (SECI)
- Keynote Speech by Mr. Ilia Lazarov , Member of the European Parliament
- Keynote Speech by Prof. Dr. Daniela Bobeva, Former Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria
* Due to his inability to attend in person, he will deliver a video address
11:30
Q&A
12:00
Plenary Panel: Europe at the crossroads of geopolitics, security and innovation (Moderator Vassil Karaivanov – ELEC, BG)
Panelists: Prof. Dr. Daniela Bobeva, former Deputy Prime Minister, Former Member of board Black Sea Trade and Development Bank, Tzvetelina Borislavova, Chair of the Supervisory Board of BACB, Franz Nauschnigg, Vice President ELEC, Advisor to the Board Austrian Central Bank, Prof. Dr. Victor Yotzov, Chair of the Scientific Council, Economic Research Institute at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS), Maria Victoria Hernández-Valcárcel, Member of the Board of European Innovation Council, Kuzman Iliev, economic and political analyst
Main topic of discussion: Financial security and the Eurozone.
13:00
Lunch break
14:30
Panel 2: Black Sea Maritime Security Hub: From Space to Sea ( Moderator: Christina Giannopapa, Secretary General, EURISY )
Panellists: Kamen Iliev, Director – CNSDR-BAS; Peter Kirov, Head of Department 2, Safety, Security, and Surveillance at European Maritime Safety Agency; Max Gulde, Co-Founder and CEO at Constellr; Georgia Kalousi, Key Account Manager, Terra Spatium SA, Greece; Flotilla admiral, Professor Kalin Kalinov, PhD, Rector of Nikola Vaptsarov Naval Academy Varna
Main topic of discussion: the EU’s Strategic Approach for the Black Sea: Security, Stability and Climate Change Resilience, Energy Security, Infrastructure, Transport Routes and Logistics Corridors, Future Outlook.
15:30
Panel 3: The Economic and Legal Dimensions of Security
(Moderator: Dr. Ivailo Dermendjiev, international arbitrator, Doctor of Law (international law and international arbitration), Deputy Chairman of the Arbitration Board at the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Panelists: Sylvia Tonova, Partner, Co-Head of International Arbitration, Head of Investment Arbitration and Public International Law, Pinsent Masons LLP, Prof. Dr. Ekaterina Salkova, Director Institute for the State and the Law - Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Yani Yanev Vice President of Varna Free University, former Regional Governor of Varna and former Member of Parliament, Prof. Branimir Botev, Vice President ELEC, Director EISA
Main topic of discussion: Security and Investment Protection, Implementation and Enforcement of Sanctions Regimes, International Arbitration as a Tool for the Protection of Investors, Cyber Security, networking, connectivity and space
16:30
Panel 4: Building Resilience: Security Aspects of Climate Adaptation, Agriculture and Regional Development (Moderator: Kamen Iliev, CNSDR, BAS )
Panelists: Kiril Vatev Bulgarian entrepreneur and former Minister of Agriculture and Food of Bulgaria; Christina Giannopapa, Secretary General, EURISY; Bruno Reynaud de Sousa, Assistant Professor, School of Law, University of Minho; Philippe Rosius, Head of the Situational Awareness Programme Management Department, European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA); Senior Commissioner Vasil Dimov, Director of the Regional Directorate for Fire Safety and Civil Protection– Plovdiv
Main topic of discussion: Space as a key enabler for: Critical Infrastructure Resilience, Food and Agricultural Security, Disaster Risk Reduction and Crisis Preparedness, Regional Development, Environmental Monitoring
17:30
Closing Remarks: A way forward
20:00
Reception
* Working language: English and Bulgarian
**Keynote speakers will be added upon confirmation.
ELEC chose Sofia not only because it is located in the Balkans, part of Eastern Europe, and one of the oldest cities on the continent, but also because the city’s name, Sofia — meaning "divine wisdom" — obliges us as Europeans to recognize the lessons of history, to wisely analyze the present, and to responsibly plan for the future
President of the Republic of Bulgaria
European League for Economic Cooperation International President
European League for Economic Cooperation Vice President Eastern Europe President E.L.E.C, Bulgaria
Center for National Security and Defence Research - BAS Director
Secretary General of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)
The conference “The Black Sea and Eastern Europe: Key to European Security“, is organised by the European League for Economic Cooperation (ELEC) and the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS), to be held on 12 October 2026 at the Grand Hotel Sofia, Bulgaria. The conference will be held under the auspices of H.E. Iliana Iotova, President of the Republic of Bulgaria, and will mark the 80th anniversary of the European League for Economic Cooperation.Bringing together policymakers, diplomats, academics, security experts, business representatives and technology specialists, the conference will examine the evolving strategic role of the Black Sea as a critical link between Europe and Asia and as a key dimension of European security, resilience and economic prosperity.
Key topics will include geopolitical and security developments, energy and financial security, maritime and critical infrastructure security, emerging and hybrid threats, climate change and environmental resilience, and the sustainable development of the blue economy.
Particular attention will be given to the role of space technologies in strengthening security and preparedness, including satellite-based Earth observation, maritime monitoring, situational awareness, early-warning and crisis-management systems, and the protection of critical infrastructure and strategic supply routes.
The conference will seek to foster international cooperation, innovation and partnerships aimed at enhancing security, stability, environmental resilience and sustainable development across the Black Sea region. A crucial turning point for Europe and its future security, in relation to the war in Ukraine and the Black Sea, as well as in the context of the EU’s strategy for the Black Sea region.
