Boris Tadić was the first President of the Republic of Serbia, serving as head of state from 2004 to 2012. Prior to this, he was Minister of Defense of Serbia and Montenegro. During his presidency, he worked on regional reconciliation in the Balkans and sought to improve relations with neighboring countries. His tenure was marked by efforts to stabilize Serbia's economy and address challenges such as Kosovo's independence. After leaving office, he remained active in Serbian politics, advocating for Serbia's integration into the European Union. President Tadić was awarded the European Prize for Political Culture and the European Medal of Tolerance.

Rodi Kratsa has rich experience and long tenure in European politics, having acquired important high-level positions with internationally recognised impact. An MEP since 1999, Mrs. Kratsa was elected 1st Vice President of the European Parliament (EP) in 2007 and re-elected Vice President in 2009. She handled a significant portfolio, such as the conciliation procedure with other institutions, the EP communication and information policy and the euromediterranean relations. She represented the European Parliament in high-level Summits and Ministerial Conferences worldwide. She was Member of the EP Committees on Economic and Monetary Affairs, Employment and Social Affairs, Transport, Budgetary Control, Women’s Rights and Gender Equality, with important initiatives and rich parliamentary work. In parallel, Mrs. Kratsa has always been very active at international level. She has worked systematically for the deepening of EU relations with significant areas of the world, especially the Caucasus region, the opposite shore of the Mediterranean, the Gulf Arab countries and Latin America. She participates in major initiatives for peace in the Middle East and has taken an active role in protecting the rights of Christians and other minorities, where there is discrimination and violence, and the Jordan River. She is an ardent advocate of the civil society and actively participates in various organizations within Greece and beyond. Elected Municipal Council of Athens (1998), she is President of the International Association for the Promotion of Women of Europe-Women of Europe Award (AIPFE), Board member at the European Centre of Culture, member of the Association of Friends of Children with Cancer “ELPIDA”. Mrs. Kratsa has been honored by heads of state, religious leaders and international bodies. She is an honorary doctor of two foreign universities.

Vladimir Norov is a prominent Uzbek statesman and diplomat recognized for his extensive contributions to regional cooperation, security, and cultural exchange. Over the years, he has held several high-ranking positions in Uzbekistan's government, as well as in international organizations, demonstrating his dedication to fostering dialogue and collaboration among nations. 

Born in 1955 in the Bukhara region of Uzbekistan, Vladimir Norov showed an early interest in international affairs. He pursued higher education at the Tashkent State Institute of Oriental Studies, where he specialized in Arabic studies, and later earned additional qualifications in international relations and law. His academic background laid a strong foundation for his future diplomatic and governmental roles. 

Norov's career in public service began in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan, where he served in various capacities. His expertise in regional issues, combined with his linguistic proficiency, allowed him to effectively represent Uzbekistan on the global stage. From 2006 to 2010, Norov served as Uzbekistan's Minister of Foreign Affairs. During his tenure, he prioritized strengthening diplomatic ties with neighboring countries and promoting regional stability. 

In 2019, Vladimir Norov was appointed as the Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a multilateral institution dedicated to regional security, economic cooperation, and cultural exchange. In this role, he worked to enhance member states' cooperation on combating terrorism, drug trafficking, and other transnational threats, while also advancing economic and cultural connectivity. As Secretary-General, he played a pivotal role in organizing high-profile SCO summits, fostering deeper partnerships among member states, and encouraging constructive dialogue on pressing global challenges.

Ana Palacio is an international lawyer and founder of Palacio y Asociados (Madrid, Brussels and Washington DC), a law firm specializing in European and International Law, and arbitration.

Between 1994 and 2002, Ms. Palacio was a Member of the European Parliament, where she chaired the Legal Affairs and Internal Market Committee; the Citizens Rights, Justice and Home Affairs Committee; as well as the Committee of Committee Chairs. She participated as member of the Presidium of the Convention for the Future of Europe (2001-2003) in the debate and drafting of the European Constitution. In 2002, Ms. Palacio became the first woman to serve as Foreign Affairs Minister of Spain (2002-2004). As a Member of the Cortes (the Spanish Parliament), she chaired the Joint Committee of the two Houses (Congreso de los Diputados and Senado) for European Union Affairs (2004-2006). She further served as Senior Vice President and General Counsel of the World Bank Group, as well as Secretary-General of ICSID-the International Center for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (2006-2008). Ms. Palacio was a member of the Executive Committee and Senior Vice-President for International Affairs of the nuclear energy leader AREVA (2008-2009), and subsequently held different positions within the EU, in particular: member of the Committee established by the Treaty of Lisbon for vetting Judges and Advocates General for the EU court system (2010-2013); member of the Advisory Group on Foreign Affairs and Security convened by the President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy (2010-2014); advisor to the European Commission on Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship (2010-2012); and Coordinator of the Trans-European Networks (2014). Between March 2012 and October 2018, Ms. Palacio served on the Consejo de Estado del Reino de España (Council of State) – the supreme consultative body to the Spanish Government on legislation and regulation.

Ana Palacio serves on the Board of Directors of the Atlantic Council of the United States, on the Global Advisory Board of the Energy Futures Initiative, and on the Industry Advisory Committee of the International Energy Forum (IEF). She further participates on the governing bodies of several research centers and public institutions, among them as a member of the Scientific Council of the Elcano Royal Institute, a member of the Council of the ECFR, and a member of the Board of Visitors of the MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Mr Borut PAHOR was born on 2 November 1963 in Postojna. He has a degree in political science with a focus on international relations. In 1987, he won the Prešeren and Zore Awards from the then Faculty of Sociology, Political Science and Journalism, University of Ljubljana, for his graduate thesis. He has a son, Luka, with Tanja Pecar, an advocate in Ljubljana. 
Mr PAHOR was a Member (1990-2004) and the President (2000-2004) of the Slovenian Parliament. He was the leader of the Social Democratic Party (1997-2012). and a Member of the European Parliament (2004-2008). He has served as Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia since 2008 until he was elected President of the Republic for two terms (2012-2022). 

Mr PAHOR is the long-time leader of the Brdo-Brijuni Process, a joint initiative that he co­-founded with Croatia as Prime Minister by Slovenia to serve as a driving force for the political and overall development of the Western Balkans and its Euro-Atlantic integration. Brdo-­Brijuni Process was an incentive for other high-level initiatives, the Berlin Process being amongst them. 

Milica Pejanovic was most recently the Permanent Representative of Montenegro to the United Nations. Prior to her that appointment, Ms. Pejanovic was her country's Minister for Defence between March 2012 and November 2016, and a member of the Mediterranean Women Mediators network as well as the Governance Board of the Atlantic Council of Montenegro.

Between 2007 and 2010, Ms. Pejanovic served as Ambassador to France, the Principality of Monaco and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).  From 2004 to 2006, she was Ambassador to the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro, as well as to Belgium and Luxembourg.

Ms. Pejanovic also served as a Member of Parliament from 1992 to 2001.  In 1990, in Montenegro's first direct election, she was elected a member of the Presidency of the Republic of Montenegro, remaining in that position until the end of 1992.

Receiving a Doctor of Philosophy in telecommunications from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering in Belgrade, Serbia, she also holds a Master of Science degree from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering in Podgorica, Montenegro.

Dumitru Braghis is a Moldovan politician, diplomat and economist. He is the current Moldovan Ambassador to China and Vietnam, appointed in mid-2020. He was the Prime Minister of Moldova from 1999 until 2001. Then, he was a member of the Parliament of Moldova, where he represented the Party Alliance Our Moldova. He was chairman of the Party of Social Democracy and deputy in the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova (2005–2009).