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Creating a Region of Growth, Security and Connectivity on the Path to Europe
On 16 May 2018, the Bulgarian presidency, the EU institutions, governments from the Western Balkans and European Movement representatives will hold a forum for dialogue in Sofia, Bulgaria.
With the European Commission’s new strategy for the Western Balkans, the countries of the region were given a fresh perspective for joining the Union. The 2025 horizon is a new chance for the region to complete all the necessary reforms. The EU needs to start discussing and communicating this new opportunity not only to policymakers, but also with societies in the region and across the EU. Citizens have a role to play by motivating their governments to implement reforms in the next 5-7 years. That is why one of the main tasks of the EU should be to start a vivid dialogue with the societies in the Western Balkans: media, analysts, NGO activists and opinion makers, and to facilitate their participation in the process.
Agenda
12:00 – 13:00
Registration and working lunch
13:00- 14:10
Opening:
- Boyko Borissov, Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria (tbc)
- Andrej Plenkovic, Prime minister of Croatia (tbc)
- Manfred Weber, Chair of the EPP Group in EP (tbc)
- Eva Maydell MEP, President of the European Movement International
- Mikuláš Dzurinda, WMCES President, former Prime Minister of Slovakia (1998-2006)
14:10 – 15:45
Roundtable I: EU Perspective for the Western Balkans
Short impulses from :
- Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (tbc)
- Ekaterina Zaharieva, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria
- Nikola Dimitrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (tbc)
- Maja Bobic, European Movement, Serbia
Active interactions from:
- Remzi Lani, Executive director of the Albanian Media Institute
- Alida Vracic, Executive Director of Think Tank Populari
- Jovan Teokarević, Director of the Belgrade Centre for European Integration, Open Society Foundation in Serbia
- Andreja Stojkovski, Media representative and political analyst, FYROM
- Nikolaos Tzifakis – Research Associate, Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies
- Sonja Licht, President of the Belgrade Fund for Political Excellence
Moderator: Vessela Tcherneva, ECFR’s Deputy Director and Head of ECFR Sofia Office
15:45-16:00
Coffee Break
16:00 – 17:30
Roundtable II: EU-Western Balkans connectivity
Short impulses from:
- Lіlуana Pavlova, Mіnіѕter for the Bulgarіan Preѕіdenсу of the Counсіl of the EU 2018
- Rosen Pleveliev, President of Bulgaria (2012-2017)
- Erion Veliaj, Mayor of Tirana
- Fiona McIlwham, Western Balkans Director FCO
Active interactions from:
- Filip Radunovic, GIZ
- Vesselin Valkanov, Head of RCC Brussels office
- Andi Dobrushi, Executive director OSF Albania
- Veton Latifi, Professor, South-east European University, Tetovo
Moderator: Eva Maydell MEP, President of the European Movement International
17:30 – 17:40
Concluding remarks
19:00
Dinner |
