This year NEBF becomes 16 + 1 Youth Forum. Chief Speaker is Erik X. Li, Politologist, and Founder and Director of Chengwei Capital. Format 16 + 1 is an initiative of the People’s Republic of China aimed at intensifying and extending cooperation with 11 EU member states and 5 Balkan countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia) in the areas of investment, transport, finance, science, education and culture.
Within the initiative, China has defined three potential priority areas for economic cooperation: infrastructure, high technology and green technology. The 16 + 1 Youth Forum vision is to become the Eurasian platform for linking young leaders from 16 + 1 member states and empowering them to use the incomparable opportunities that will come as a result of cooperation between Europe and China. 16 + 1 Youth Forum will bring together the most talented young people from 16 + 1 countries and build a platform for cooperation, exchange of ideas and sustainable development.
Finally, Youth Forum 16 + 1 will be promoted as Eurasian cooperation by building permanent partnerships among participants. 16 + 1 Youth Forum organizers will select and invite youth leaders from 16 + 1 countries to attend the 1st 16 + 1 Youth Forum to be held in Croatia in 2019. These young leaders will be selected from different areas such as: academic community, business world. , Entrepreneurship, NGOs, Policies, etc. A full list of speakers will be published shortly.
