On April 8, 2025, the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC), together with the Institute of World Politics and Economics (IWPE, Serbia), held a roundtable on “The Balkan Region in the Eurasian Security System.” The event took place in a hybrid format and brought together representatives of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, along with leading Russian and Serbian experts on the Balkans.
The discussion focused on the emerging structure of Eurasian security—its conceptual foundations, prospects for full-scale implementation, and wider systemic dimensions. Participants compared European and Eurasian security models, assessed their effectiveness, and examined how the initiative advanced by Russia could be applied in Balkan countries. The roundtable also addressed the impact of domestic political challenges and ethnic tensions in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina on the development of a potential new regional security framework.
On April 8, 2025, the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC), together with the Institute of World Politics and Economics (IWPE, Serbia), held a roundtable on “The Balkan Region in the Eurasian Security System.” The event took place in a hybrid format and brought together representatives of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, along with leading Russian and Serbian experts on the Balkans.
The discussion focused on the emerging structure of Eurasian security—its conceptual foundations, prospects for full-scale implementation, and wider systemic dimensions. Participants compared European and Eurasian security models, assessed their effectiveness, and examined how the initiative advanced by Russia could be applied in Balkan countries. The roundtable also addressed the impact of domestic political challenges and ethnic tensions in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina on the development of a potential new regional security framework.
Participants included:
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Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia to Serbia
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Vladislav Maslennikov, Director of the Department for European Cooperation, Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
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Yuri Pilipson, Director of the Second European Department, Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
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Ivan Timofeev, Director General of RIAC
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Elena Guskova, Chief Research Fellow, Institute for Slavic Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences
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Alexander Pivovarenko, Research Fellow, Center for Mediterranean Studies, HSE University
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Dusan Prorokovic, Head of the Center for Eurasian Studies, Institute of International Politics and Economics (Serbia)
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Dmitry Trenin, Academic Supervisor, Institute of World Military Economy and Strategy, HSE University; RIAC Member
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Anton Demidov, Senior Expert, Russian Institute for Strategic Studies
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Anastasia Kotova, Project Manager, Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Fund
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Stevan Gajic, Research Fellow, Institute of European Studies (Serbia); Visiting Professor, MGIMO University
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Polina Sokolova, Research Fellow, Section for Regional Problems and Conflicts, Primakov Institute of World Economy and International Relations (IMEMO)
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Maria Maksakova, Head of the Department of International Economic Relations and Foreign Economic Affairs, MGIMO University; Leading Research Fellow, Center for East European Studies, Institute of Economics, Russian Academy of Sciences
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Yakov Smirnov, Junior Research Fellow, Department of Modern History of Central and South-Eastern Europe, Institute for Slavic Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences
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Daniil Rastegaev, RIAC Publishing Editor; Junior Research Fellow, Institute of Scientific Information on Social Sciences (INION RAS)
The discussion was moderated by Milan Lazovic, RIAC Program Manager.
