On 16 June 2011, at the Central Military Club, in Sofia, an international conference was held, entitled “Euro-Atlantic Integration of the Western Balkans: Implementing the V4 Experience”. The event was organized by the Atlantic Club of Bulgaria, in cooperation with the embassies of Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Poland in Bulgaria and with the support of ICD. The conference was held on the occasion of the 20th anniversaries from the foundation of ACB and the Visegrad Group. The aim was to reaffirm the key importance of regional co-operation in the process of the further enlargement of the EU and NATO and to give directions and management recommendations for the countries in the Western Balkans, by using as an example the mutual cooperation between the countries comprising the Visegrad Four (V4). The conference was realized with the special support of the International Visegrad Fund.

The conference speakers were representatives of leading organizations in the field of international relations and civil society organizations from Slovakia, Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic, as well as renowned academics, who took part in the program with keynote speeches, debates and panel discussions. The audience ranged from scholars, civil society practitioners and private sector figures, diplomatic and political representatives, journalists, and other stakeholders, interested in international relations.

The event was composed of three panels: “Euro-Atlantic Integration: Security and Cooperation”; “EU integration”; and “Sharing the BG/V4 experience: Economic Perspective, Civil Society, Development Assistance”. The welcome address was given by H.E. Karol Mistrik, Ambassador of the Republic of Slovakia to the Republic of Bulgaria, and Dr. Solomon Passy, President of ACB.