Regional cooperation in the Western Balkans: The Berlin Process and Visegrad Group in comparison project

The SEE Think Net Network was established in mid-march 2018 with the generous support of the European Fund for the Balkans as the first regional network composed of civil society organisations that aim to monitor the topics related to the Berlin Process. The network was presented to the public at the “Democracy That Delivers: Unlocking the Western Balkans Potential” international conference in Sofia in May 2018, a side-event of the 2018 EU-Western Balkans Summit in Sofia.

The Network encompasses think tanks, civil society organisations and individuals from the 6 Western Balkan countries plus Croatia and Slovenia. Besides the Institute for Democracy “Societas Civilis” (IDSCS) coordinates the Network, the SEE Think Net Network includes the Network of the European Movement in Serbia (NEMinS), Open Society Foundation for Albania and its affliate, the EU Policy Hub, Adnan Ćerimagić, Politikon Network from Montenegro, Kosovar Centre for Security Studies, the Institute for Development and International Relations (IRMO) from Croatia and the Centre for European Perspective (CEP) from Slovenia. The European Western Balkans portal, a regional web portal specialized in European integration process of the Western Balkan countries, is the media partner of the SEE Think Net Network.

The goal of the SEE Think Net Network is to produce significant policy inputs and provide policy recommendations on topics that derive from the Berlin Process. As such, its activities are devised in order to closely monitor the Berlin process and the policy areas the process encompasses. In 2018, the network produced 6 policy papers on the key topics of the Berlin Process, including security and migration, terrorism, connectivity, resolution of bilateral issues, and rule of law. The policy outputs of the network were presented and communicated with the policy and decision-makers across the region of Western Balkans and beyond. In addition, representatives of the SEE Think Net Network participated and presented their work at the 2018 Civil Society Forum in London as well as the Chatham

In December 2018, the SEE Think Network received additional financial support from the International Visegrad Fund as part of the Regional cooperation in the Western Balkans: The Berlin Process and Visegrad Group in comparison project. The network therefore broadened its scope of activities in the Visegrad region through cooperation with the following think tanks: the Centre for Eastern Studies from Poland (OSW), Institute for Foreign Affairs and Trade from Hungary (KKI), the Research Centre of the Slovak Foreign Policy Association (RC SFPA) from Slovakia, and EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy (EUROPEUM) from the Czech Republic.

As part of Regional cooperation in the Western Balkans The Berlin Process and Visegrad Group in comparison project, the SEE Think Net Network plans to organize four promotional events in the Visegrad and Western Balkans region. The events will take place in Bratislava in late May, Budapest and Tirana in early June, and in Skopje in late November. These events which be used for the promotion of 7 policy papers on the key topics of the Berlin Process as well as the regional cooperation between the Western Balkans and Visegrad Group countries.