Western Balkans. The futures of integration

The objective of the Conference is to take a fresh look at the Western Balkans and to tackle the strategic options underpinning the different integration processes. There is a need to give full visibility to this region because its future remains of great importance for the stability and well-being of our continent. The Italian Presidency of the European Union has set a priority towards the Balkans in its agenda.

 
PROGRAMME

Tuesday, 7th October

14:30 - Arrival of participants and registration

15:00 - Welcome remarks
- Amb. Alessandro Minuto-Rizzo, President, NATO Defense College Foundation, Rome
- Amb. Luigi Mattiolo, DG European Union, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Rome

15:20 - Opening remarks
Zoran Jolevski, Minister of Defence of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Skopje

15:30 - SESSION 1, REGIONAL COOPERATION: ANOTHER STEP FORWARD
From post-war societies to a truly regional co-operation. The role of security and of the economy in shaping this new landscape. Perspectives for a genuine political dialogue towards European integration. Italy’s contribution to the stability and prosperity of the Western Balkans.

Chair:
Vincenzo Nigro, Journalist, La Repubblica, Rome

- Solomon Passy, President, Atlantic Club of Bulgaria, Sofia
- Petar Mihatov, Head of Sector for International Defense Cooperation and Security, Ministry of Defense, Zagreb
- Andrei Tarnea, Executive Director, Aspen Institute Romania, Bucharest
- Fernando Gentilini, Director for Western Europe, Western Balkans and Turkey, European External Action Service, Brussels

General Discussion

17:00 - Coffee/Tea break

17:30 - SESSION 2, THE SERBIA-KOSOVO DEAL: A TURNING POINT?
The Serbia-Kosovo agreement as a case study. The European soft power in the Western Balkans: incentives and responsibilities; strengths and limits. The open questions and the evolving practices regarding majorities and minorities, togetherness and separation. How can national issues be transformed in the region?

Chair:
Gordana Delić, Director, Balkan Trust for Democracy, Belgrade

- Anton Bebler, President, Euro-Atlantic Council of Slovenia, Ljubljana
- Jelena Milić, Director, Center for Euro-Atlantic Studies, Belgrade
- Denis Hadzović, Secretary General, Center for Security Studies, Sarajevo
- Florian Qehaja, Executive Director, Kosovar Centre for Security Studies, Prishtine

General discussion

Wednesday, 8th October

9:15 - Arrival of participants

9:30 - Opening remarks
Vladimir Radulović, State Secretary for Political Affairs, Republic of Montenegro, Podgorica

9:45 - SESSION 3, NATO AND EUROPE: THE STATE OF THE INTEGRATION
The European process of enlargement after Croatia’s accession, looking at the future and at the timetables. The candidates: positive and negative aspects. NATO’s view on FYROM, Montenegro and others. The evolving Turkish role in the region.

Chair:
Stefano Silvestri, Former President, Istituto Affari Internazionali, Rome

- Christophe Solioz, Political Analyst, former Secretary General of the Centre for European Integration, Geneva
- Albert Rakipi, Executive Director, Albanian Institute for International Studies, Tirana
- Dusan Fischer, Research Fellow, Slovak Foreign Policy Association, Bratislava
- Sonja Licht, President, Belgrade Fund for Political Excellence, Belgrade

General Discussion

11:15 - Coffee/Tea break

11:45 - SESSION 4, UNFINISHED BUSINESS? THE BOSNIAN ISSUE
From Dayton to a “cold peace” featuring a fragile federal structure where different “Bosnias” coexist. This political uncertainty has obvious social repercussions that risk perpetuating an inherently unstable arrangement. The issue revolves around the transition towards a wider European role in supporting social and political changes in a meaningful way.

Chair:
Istvan Gyarmati, President, International Centre for Democratic Transition, Budapest

- Goran Svilanović, Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council, Sarajevo
- Wolfgang Petritsch, President, Austrian Marshall Foundation, Vienna
- Ahmet Evin, Professor, Sabanci University Policy Institute, Istanbul
- Srdan Dizdarević, President, Helsinki Committee for Human Rights, Sarajevo

General discussion

13:20 - Concluding Remarks
The Hon. Benedetto Della Vedova, Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs of Italy