On June 15, 2023, a conference "The War in Ukraine and the Balkans" was held at the Institute of Balkan Studies and Centre of Tracology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IBSCT-BAS). The event was co-organized by the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung.

Distinguished scientists and young scholars from the  IBSCT-BAS, as well as representatives of the University of National and World Economy, the Institute of Economics and International Relations and the Bulgarian Geopolitical Society took part in the scientific forum.

The participants were greeted by Prof. Alexandre Kostov, Dr. habil., Coressponding Member of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences - Chairman of the IBSCT Scientific Council and Mr. Jacques Paparo - Director of the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung office in Bulgaria.

During the conference's sessions, a wide range of issues related to the impact of the war in Ukraine on the security and stability of the region, the prospects of the accession of Balkan countries to the EU and NATO were discussed. Special attention was paid to the geopolitical, economic and energy challenges facing the countries of South-Eastern Europe.