Roundtable and Debate
Skopje, Macedonia, 29 November 2017

The 2017 Western Balkans Summit of Trieste, Italy was the fourth annual conference held in the framework of the Berlin process. It was attended by the heads of state or government, foreign ministers and the ministers of economy of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia, Germany, Austria, France, Italy, the UK, Croatia, Slovenia, as well as by the EU High Representative Mogherini and Commissioner Hahn. The Italian hosts also invited the incoming Bulgarian EU Presidency to the meeting.

Four years ago, the Berlin process was launched so as to maintain the impetus of European integration in the region. Its initial objective was to further “real additional progress” in the region and to thereby support the EU’s enlargement strategy. While the Summit of Trieste reconfirmed the EU’s commitment to support Western Balkan’s path into the EU, the implementation of previous commitments by both the EU and Western Balkans’ governments becomes more pressing than ever. The Western Balkans Reflection Forum held in Trieste in June 2017 has highlighted key issues regarding the implementation of these commitments as well as new challenges, rendering EU accession prospects less predictable.

Good neighbourly relations in Europe are the basis for regional cooperation and European integration. In the context of the Berlin Process, the Vienna Declaration on Bilateral issues signed in 2015 opens new avenues to overcome long-lasting obstacles in the region and to prevent future blockages. This roundtable will undertake a discussion in view of the forthcoming Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU and review of the state of play in particular with regard to Macedonia and her neighbours.

This roundtable is an outreach event of the Western Balkans Reflection Forum initiative. It follows up on the Western Balkans Reflection Forum of Trieste, organised on 26-27 June 2017

Full Programme