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RESOLVING REMAINING DISPUTES IN THE REGION

Three decades after the wars in former Yugoslavia, the Western Balkans still suffers from disputes that endanger stability, hamper economic progress, and undermine regional cooperation. Two issues are particularly challenging: the internal disagreements in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo-Serbia relations. The perseverance of these disputes undercuts other processes, especially the region’s  EU integration. However, the existence of the disputes is also exacerbated by the often blurred EU perspective of the region.

 

To address these issues, the Council for Inclusive Governance, in cooperation with the Federal Foreign Office of Germany (AA), organized on September 29, 2023, in Budva, Montenegro, another roundtable for the senior officials of the main political parties from the Western Balkans. The roundtable is part of a larger initiative on strengthening the region in the face of new geopolitical challenges conducted by CIG and supported by AA. The event discussed the internal challenges in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Serbia-Kosovo dispute and how the region could help overcome these problems. The discussions were held under the Chatham House Rule. This report below has been drafted by CIG’s Senior Associate Igor Novakovi? and does not necessarily represent the views of individual participants, CIG, or AA. It reflects the discussion as a whole, and CIG is solely responsible for its content.