Bringing V4 and WB6 closer in the time of crisis
- Objavljeno petak, 19 maj 2023 10:41
European Movement in Montenegro, along with its partners, is launching a project focused on enhancing cooperation and understanding among countries in the Central European region. The project aims to promote dialogue, research, and policy development on regional and European issues.
The main issue that the project aims to focus on is the deterioration of foreign policies and regional cooperation in the Western Balkans (WB) region after the invasion of Russia on Ukraine and the set of regional and global crises since March 2022. The project aims to change the current situation by providing a comprehensive analysis of the foreign policies of WB countries and the Visegrad Group (V4) countries towards WB6 (Western Balkans 6), along with recommendations for improvement.
To address this issue, the project will conduct desk research, collect data, and assess the perceptions and behaviors of key stakeholders involved in foreign policy and regional cooperation in these countries. The project will develop a joint methodology in collaboration with partner organizations to ensure an informed review of foreign policies in the context of the war in Ukraine and other regional and global crises. Regional dialogue platforms will be established to facilitate discussions and comparative analyses of foreign and regional policies, leading to a better understanding of the dynamics in the WB region.
The project's contribution lies in providing an authentic and independent analysis of foreign policies and regional cooperation in the WB region and the efforts of V4 countries towards WB6. It fills the gap of a comparative and comprehensive study in the context of recent crises, offering insights and recommendations for stabilization, EU integration, and overall improvement of cooperation.
The regional relevance of the proposal is evident in the aftermath of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which has caused political reverberations in the WB region. The project aims to assess the impact of the crisis, analyze the foreign policies of key actors, and provide evidence of WB as a buffer zone where Russia seeks to preserve influence and undermine the West. The project aligns with the V4's support for the EU accession of WB6 and their belief in the importance of EU enlargement for security, stability, and prosperity in the region.
The organization behind the project, European Movement and it’s partners, have prior experience in dealing with similar topics and have implemented projects related to EU integration, regional cooperation, and foreign policy. The project builds on their expertise and partnerships to conduct research, produce policy studies, and engage with various target groups, including media, governments, diplomatic communities, and research centers.
To share the results of the project, the organization plans to organize a final conference where the policy studies will be presented to expert communities, decision-makers, and international stakeholders. The dissemination will also include sending policy studies and research data to relevant organizations and institutions, maintaining partnerships, and promoting the results through articles, speeches, and social networks.
In the future, the organization plans to build on the results of this project by continuing to contribute to regional cooperation and EU integration in the WB6 and strengthening cooperation between V4 and WB6 on bilateral and multilateral levels. They aim to disseminate the results through individual and collective actions, further research, projects, and collaborations with public institutions and EU institutions.
The deliverables of the project include a:
- Comparative methodology for research and a detailed activity plan,
- Comparative regional policy study on foreign policy and regional cooperation in WB6 during the crisis period of 2022-2024,
- Comparative regional policy study on the foreign policy of V4 countries towards WB6 during the same period, and
- A final conference (online) to present the project's findings and recommendations.
The project involves collaboration with several partners, including:
- Research Center of the Slovak Foreign Policy Association (Vyskumne centrum Slovenskej spoločnosti pre zahraničnu politiku) - sfpa@sfpa.sk, www.sfpa.sk
- EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy (Institut pro evropskou politiku EUROPEUM) - europeum@europeum.org, www.europeum.org
- Warsaw Institute (Fundacja Warsaw Institute) - office@warsawinstitute.org, www.warsawinstitute.org
- Institute for Foreign Affairs and Trade (Külügyi és Külgazdasági Intézet - KKI) - info@ifat.hu, www.kki.hu
- Albanian Institute for International Studies (Instituti i Studimeve Nderkombetare) - acela@aiis-albania.org, www.aiis-albania.org
- Center for Critical Thinking (Udruženje "Centar za kritičko mišljenje" Mostar) - tacnonet@gmail.com, www.tacno.net
- Center for Regionalism (Centar za regionalizam) - aleksandar.popov@centarzaregionalizam.org.rs, www.centarzaregionalizam.org.rs
- Kosovar Institute for Policy Research and Development (Instituti Kosovar për Kërkime dhe Zhvillim të Politikave) - lulzim.peci@kipred.org, www.kipred.org
- ESTIMA Association for strategy development, research, education, and promotion (ESTIMA Здружение за развој на стратегии, истражување, едукација и промоција на megunarodna sorabotka) - info@estima.mk, www.estima.mk
Through joint research activities, policy r
ecommendations, and public engagement initiatives, the project aims to strengthen regional cooperation, foster mutual understanding, and contribute to the dev
elopment of informed and inclusive policies in the Central European region