19th Dubrovnik Forum concludes: Dialogue, cooperation key in age of multipolarity

The 19th Dubrovnik Forum, held under the theme "The Age of Multipolarity: Many Directions, One Future", took place in Dubrovnik on 26 and 27 June 2026. The Forum also marked the 20th anniversary of the first Croatia Summit, held in 2006.

Over the course of two days, the Forum featured 20 panel discussions and working sessions, bringing together more than 100 panellists and speakers, moderated by 20 moderators. It welcomed around 35 deputy prime ministers, ministers, state secretaries and deputy ministers, alongside representatives of international organisations, institutions and think tanks. Participants from around 50 countries across five continents attended the Forum, reaffirming its global reach and its role as a platform for bringing together diverse political, economic and cultural perspectives.

The Forum's central panel, "An Age of Multipolarity: Navigating the New Reality", featured the Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia, Andrej Plenković, together with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Italy, Antonio Tajani, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset, and the Secretary General of the OSCE, Feridun H. Sinirlioğlu.

Discussions focused on the changing global order, security and defence, energy resilience, artificial intelligence, critical raw materials, maritime security, economic connectivity, as well as challenges and opportunities in the Mediterranean, Africa, the Asia-Pacific region and the Western Balkans.

"At a time of growing geopolitical fragmentation, the Dubrovnik Forum has once again demonstrated how essential open and sincere dialogue, the exchange of views, and the willingness to seek common ground are for the international community," Foreign Minister Grlić Radman said at the closing of the Forum.

Particular attention was devoted to incorporating diverse regional perspectives, especially those of the Global South, as well as to strengthening cooperation in the fields of energy, climate change, governance of emerging technologies, healthcare, food security and economic connectivity.

An important part of the programme focused on the European perspective of the Western Balkan countries. Participants emphasised that the enlargement of the European Union is of strategic importance for Croatia, the European Union and European security, and that the accession process must remain credible, merit-based and sufficiently tangible to the citizens of the region. The Forum also hosted the OECD Dubrovnik Talks, which were attended by the OECD Deputy Secretary-General, František Ružička.

On the margins of the Forum, Grlić Radman held a series of bilateral meetings with foreign ministers, other senior officials and representatives of international organisations.

This year's edition also featured the inaugural Dubrovnik Youth Forum, which brought together 30 young professionals and future leaders from more than 20 countries, engaging them in discussions on the future of international cooperation and global development.

With the conclusion of its 19th edition, the Dubrovnik Forum once again reaffirmed Dubrovnik's historic role as a place of dialogue, diplomacy and exchange, bringing together diverse political, regional and societal perspectives in the search for responses to the challenges of today's world.

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