The Minister of Scientific and Technological Development and Higher Education of the Republic of Srpska, prof. Draga Mastilović PhD, addressed the opening of the Third International Forum "Russia – Balkans" today, which is being held over two days at the World Trade Center in Moscow.
On this occasion, the Minister stated that the Republic of Srpska places great importance on developing co-operation with regions of the Russian Federation in the fields of science and higher education.
"Scientific and educational co-operation between the Republic of Srpska and the Russian Federation has significantly improved in recent years thanks to the University of Banja Luka and the University of Istočno Sarajevo, which have signed co-operation agreements with numerous Russian universities. Particularly important is the co-operation with the company 'Rostec', which is of great significance for the future scientific, research, and technological development of the Republic of Srpska," Minister Mastilović emphasised.
This year's Forum focuses on various aspects of relations between Russia and its Balkan partners, logistical challenges in bilateral co-operation in the context of Western sanctions policies, Russia's potential as a centre of modern expertise in digitalisation and new technologies, as well as the prospects for successful Balkan business projects in the Russian Federation. Representatives of Balkan countries and 16 regions of the Russian Federation are taking part in the Forum.
The Forum has been held since 2024 and has already positioned itself as one of the leading international conferences for discussions on economic and humanitarian issues of Russian–Balkan co-operation. So far, more than 200 delegates from regions of the Russian Federation, Balkan countries, and Eastern European states have participated in the Forum, including representatives of the diplomatic corps, chambers of commerce, businesspeople, public figures, politicians, and professors.
The event is organised by the Centre for International Co-operation "Russian–Balkan Dialogue" and the Russian–Balkan Centre for Business Co-operation and Culture.