Regional conference “EU and the Western Balkans – Between mistrust and common interests”

Transparency International in Bosnia and Herzegovina (TI BiH) organized a two-day conference on the topic of European integration on June 24 and 25, 2022.

The conference was held in the light of the latest events at the summit in Brussels, where the countries of the region, and even those that took notable reform steps, failed to obtain candidate status and became hostage to the newly created circumstances in the process of joining the countries of the region to the European Union. The conference entitled “The EU and the Western Balkans – between mistrust and common interests” brought together international experts, former diplomats, decision-makers from BiH and the surrounding area, representatives of the academic community, civil society and the media, who spoke about the perspective of expanding the EU to the Western Balkans.

Among others, the conference participants were addressed by Goran Svilanović – former Minister of Foreign Affairs of FR Yugoslavia and former Secretary General of the Council for Regional Cooperation, Kori Udovicki – former Vice President of the Government of Serbia and Chief Economist at the Center for Advanced Economic Studies in Belgrade, Emir Đikić – Director of CEFTA, Maja Sever – President of the European Federation of Journalists; Neven Andjelic – professor at Regent University in London; Katarina Peović – member of the Croatian Parliament, Drago Kos – chairman of the OECD working group for the fight against corruption. The conference opened up space for discussion about the problems that in the previous period stopped the progress of the countries of the region on the European path, as well as about the new approach to integration processes and the possibilities of a significant move in the direction of joining.