{"id":27475,"date":"2022-10-17T14:28:33","date_gmt":"2022-10-17T14:28:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/idscs.org.mk\/?p=27475"},"modified":"2022-10-17T14:28:33","modified_gmt":"2022-10-17T14:28:33","slug":"idscs-officially-started-the-project-enhancing-think-balkans-knowledge-hub-for-western-balkans-eu-integration-and-regional-cooperation-at-the-think-tank-forum-in-prague","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/idscs.org.mk\/en\/2022\/10\/17\/idscs-officially-started-the-project-enhancing-think-balkans-knowledge-hub-for-western-balkans-eu-integration-and-regional-cooperation-at-the-think-tank-forum-in-prague\/","title":{"rendered":"IDSCS officially started the project \u2018Enhancing Think Balkans \u2013 knowledge hub for Western Balkans EU integration and regional cooperation\u2019 at the Think Tank Forum in Prague"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Institute for Democracy (IDSCS) has officially started the project \u2018Enhancing Think Balkans \u2013 knowledge hub for Western Balkans EU integration and regional cooperation\u2019 on 14 October 2022 in Prague, as part of the EU Enlargement Think Tank Forum organised by EUROPEUM. The project represents a continuation of the well-established cooperation under the umbrella of Think Balkans consortium between 10 (ten) organisations from the Western Balkans (WB) and the Visegrad group (V4) of countries.<\/p>\n

At the opening panel discussion, experts from the region and Europe discussed on the topic of \u201cWar in Ukraine and the consequences on the European integrations of the Western Balkan\u201d. <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The representatives of the partner orgnanisations Alba Cela<\/strong>, Executive Director of Albanian Institute for International Studies (AIIS) in Albania, Ferenc Nemeth<\/strong>, Research Fellow of the Institute for Foreign Affairs and Trade (IFAT) from Hungary, Marta Szpala<\/strong>, Senior Fellow at the Centre for Eastern Studies (OSW) from Poland and the external expert Oksana Forostyna<\/strong>, Fellow at Visegrad Insight Ukraine (Visegrad Insight) and Co-founder of Yakaboo Publishing, moderated by Zoran Nechev<\/strong>, Head of the Centre for European Integrations within IDSCS shared their opinion and views on the topic.<\/p>\n

Cela shared the perspective of the candidate countries in the Western Balkans countries which were affected economically and politically by the war in Ukraine. \u201cThe economic consequences of the war are affecting reforms negatively. In addition, the relations in the region have also been affected given the difference of Serbia’s position on the sanctions towards Russia\u201d said Cela.<\/p>\n

The V4 countries representatives Ferenc Nemeth and Marta Szpala discussed their standpoint on the war and the urgency in the enlargement process for both the Associate Trio and the Western Balkans countries.<\/p>\n

N\u00e9meth argued that enlargement has gotten more difficult for all candidate and potential candidate countries since the war in Ukraine. \u201cCompliance with the EU\u2019s foreign policy declaration has also emerged as an important criterion for countries that wish to join the EU. Although enlargement policy once again receives attention at the EU level, the focus has rather shifter to the Associated Trio\u201d explained Nemeth.<\/p>\n

Contrary on the Nemeth\u2019s position Szpala gave her insight on her optimistic views in the pro-enlargement winds. She believes that the war in Ukraine will contribute to a vaster necessity in the enlargement process for the WB. \u201cThe devotion of the civil society in Ukraine has moved the enlargement process for the Associated Trio, but also for the WB. Given the situation, enlargement is again in the highlight of European foreign policy\u201d said Szpala.<\/p>\n

Oksana Forostyna, Author at Visegrad Insight, commented on the panelists\u2019 views. She shared Ukraine position on the urgency for resolving the blockages on the EU integrative path of the WB countries. \u201cUkraine is a good partner to the Western Balkans in the process of enlargement, Ukrainian civil society and government are quite loud and insistent on the enlargement process for Moldova and Ukraine but also for the countries of the WB\u201d stated Forostyna.<\/p>\n

The \u2018Enhancing Think Balkans \u2013 knowledge hub for Western Balkans EU integration and regional cooperation\u201d project is financially supported by the\u00a0International Visegrad Fund<\/a>\u00a0and builds upon the previously established cooperation between the members of the Southeast European Think Net Network (SEE Think Net) and Think Visegrad as part of the\u00a0\u2018Regional cooperation in the Western Balkans: The Berlin Process and Visegrad Group in comparison project\u2019<\/a>\u00a0and the project \u201cCooperation Instrument for the Western Balkans Think Tanks \u2013 THINK BALKANS\u201d<\/a> supported by the\u00a0International Visegrad Fund<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The project is implemented by Institute for Democracy (IDSCS), in collaboration with\u00a0the\u00a0European Movement in Serbia (EMinS)<\/a>,\u00a0Balkan Research Institute\u00a0from Kosovo*,\u00a0Politikon Network<\/a>\u00a0from Montenegro,\u00a0Albanian Institute for International Studies (AIIS)<\/a>\u00a0from Albania,\u00a0Humanity in Action<\/a>\u00a0from Bosnia and Herzegovina,\u00a0Centre for Eastern Studies (OSW)<\/a>\u00a0from Poland,\u00a0Institute for Foreign Affairs and Trade (IFAT)<\/a>\u00a0from Hungary, the\u00a0Research Centre of the Slovak Foreign Policy Association (RC SFPA)<\/a>\u00a0from Slovakia, and\u00a0EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy (EUROPEUM)<\/a>\u00a0from the Czech Republic, will work in achieving the project\u2019s goals.<\/p>\n