2009 EPS Balkans Web

A NEW ERA IN THE BALKANS
Winter 2009
With the support of
Media Partner
A NEW ERA IN THE BALKANS

Report of the European Policy Summit co-organised by Friends of Europe, the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, the Constantinos Karamanlis Institute for Democracy and the OECD Investment Compact for South East Europe
with the support of The Coca-Cola Company
with media partner Europes World
Winter 2009 Bibliothque Solvay, Brussels
The views expressed in this report are the private views of individuals and are not necessarily the views of the organisations they represent, nor of Friends of Europe, its Board of Trustees, members and partners. Reproduction in whole or in part is permitted, provided that full credit is given to Friends of Europe, and provided that any such reproduction, whether in whole or in part, is not sold unless incorporated in other works.
Rapporteur: David Koczij Publisher: Geert Cami Project Director: Nathalie Furrer Project Manager: Jacqueline Hogue Photographer: Franois de Ribaucourt Design & Layout: Kramik
Table of contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Morning: Plenary Sessions 4
OPENING ADDRESS - Michael Leigh SESSION I - Making 2010-2020 the Decade of the Balkans
Stepping stones Stumbling blocks Bilateral issues Stability for the future
9 12 14 16 20
SESSION II - Strengthening ownership: promoting regional cooperation and enhancing local capacities
Promoting regional cooperation Is cooperation enough? Afternoon: Economic Roundtable
23 24 27
SESSION III - Do the economic storm clouds have a silver lining for the Balkans? 31
Improving government involvement Promoting investment through a better business environment Educational and social reforms: a long-term perspective The silver lining a nal word 32 34 35 39
SESSION IV - The challenge of infrastructure: 41 can Balkan states share projects?

Private-public partnerships Developing infrastructure through regional cooperation Regional cooperation and EU integration 42 43 45 48 51 55
ANNEX I - List of Discussants and Speakers ANNEX II - Programme ANNEX III - List of Participants
A new era in the Balkans: Winter 2009
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Friends of Europes 10th annual high-level European Policy Summit on the Balkans gathered Prime Ministers, policymakers and representatives from the public and private sectors to discuss A new era in the Balkans. This summit considered which preconditions remain for the completion of Balkan accession negotiations and how regional cooperation could be strengthened in an area plagued by historical differences and political tensions. Integrated into the discussion was the issue of the European Unions (EU) enlargement fatigue in the face of apparent stagnation of the membership prospects in the Western Balkans. Though the last year has seen many promising developments, said Michael Leigh, European Commission Director General for Enlargement, in his opening address, many challenges remain. Nevertheless, it is important that the process continue. It is said that the EU will not be complete until the Western Balkans join, Leigh asserted. The region is an integral part of our development. At the same time that landmark steps are being taken between the EU Enlargement mechanisms and governments in the region, regional cooperation has gained signicant ground, with initiatives for Balkan empowerment taking hold throughout the region. Hido Bicevic, Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) addressed the summit, saying that the substance [of the RCC] is that, for the rst time in modern history, the countries of the Western Balkans have decided to take cooperation into their own hands. The plenary sessions were followed by a roundtable discussion on the economic realities facing the Balkans. Following the global economic crisis, the roundtable asked, what positive signs exist that point to the possibilities of market reforms and economic restructuring which may revive the areas agging economies? Alistair Nolan, Head of the Investment Compact for South East Europe at the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), presented an overview of the effects of the crisis on the Western Balkans, noting that while the
economic storm clouds are still present, there are reasons to be optimistic for the future. One area which offers hope for the future of the region is infrastructural development. The edgling cooperation between Balkan states, a rst step towards integration into the EU bloc, should focus on regional infrastructure projects in order to improve their regional integrity as well as physical access to the EU member states which surround them. It is important to have harmonisation throughout the area, opined Dirk Lange, European Commission Head of Unit for Croatia in the Directorate General for Enlargement. The countries in the Western Balkans have to share projects otherwise they are doomed to fail. During his welcome address, Peter R. Weilemann, Director of the European Ofce of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, stated that as long as the nations of the Western Balkans are not members of the European Union, the unication of Europe will not be complete. The road to stability and integration in Southeast Europe has been as bumpy as some of the roadways which traverse the countryside itself, but with international support, regional cooperation and a focus on economic stability and development, the possibility of making 2010-2020 the Decade of the Balkans continues to be a strong and viable reality.
Morning: Plenary Sessions
OPENING ADDRESS
Michael Leigh
Michael Leigh, European Commission Director General for Enlargement, stated that It is quite clear that the destiny of the Western Balkans is intricately tied to the destiny of the EU. The intertwined destinies of the EU and the states of Southeast Europe are reected in both the EUs enlargement process as well as the common history shared by the Balkan countries and the rest of Europe.
Michael Leigh, European Commission Director General for Enlargement, addresses the audience and panellists at the start of the rst plenary session.
The region we are discussing today is one that is now completely surrounded by member states of the European Union. Some have described the Western Balkans as a kind of inner courtyard of the European Union and an integral part of our own development, he stated. There has been consensus for many years between EU member states that the prosperity and growth of the Western Balkans is something to which all European nations are committed. This commitment is not a controversial issue, he continued, but much work remains to be done. The countries of the Western Balkans have simultaneously been involved in a process of transition and, in many cases, of state-building and member statebuilding for the future. Though there exists goodwill on all sides, the challenges facing the enlargement process are even greater in the face of the current global economic climate. Now more than ever, he added, we need to work together to alleviate the impact of this crisis and to show our citizens that we are achieving tangible results; that they are not just listening to the distant political rumblings of diplomats and politicians which they cannot understand. There have been many victories in the past year for the enlargement and stability process, Leigh informed the gathering. On 30 November, just a week before the summit, the European Council had passed a resolution of visa liberalisation for citizens of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia1 as a result of these three countries having met the required reformatory benchmarks. The lack of visa-free travel has obscured the European vision of many especially young people who have never had the opportunity to travel beyond their own borders. Now, in just a few days, with visa liberalisation coming into effect, these experiences have become a thing of the past. Michael Leigh continued, adding that if the requirements can be met, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina are set to follow their fellow Balkan nations in the visa liberalisation process in 2010.
1. European Council Press Release 16640/09 (Presse 349), 30 November 2009. http://www.consilium.europa.eu/ uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/en/jha/111561.pdf Accessed on 12 December 2009.
Advances in bilateral relations have also been a hallmark of the past twelve months, the summit heard. Following the recent resolution of the Croat-Slovene border dispute, Croatia could be ready to accede as early as next year, provided the terms of the accession negotiations are met. The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Leigh continued, after 4 years of candidature and major reforms, specically in the areas of administration and the judiciary, has seen real possibilities in the opening of accession negotiations. This is further supported by the redoubling of efforts under the auspices of the United Nations (UN) to resolve the dispute between the country and EU member Greece over the name.
Now more than ever we need to work together to alleviate the impact of this crisis and to show our citizens that we are achieving tangible results; that they are not just listening to the distant political rumblings of diplomats and politicians which they cannot understand.
Michael Leigh, European Commission Director General for Enlargement With all the good that has been accomplished in the last year, there is no disguising the fact that we face a number of very real challenges, Leigh concluded, mentioning questions of governance and constitutional reform in Bosnia and Herzegovina on the road to adopting the rules and laws of the EU as well as the continuing political hot potato represented by Kosovo. Stepping back to consider the region as a whole, the Commission Director General assured the participants that the various questions of rule of law, organised crime and corruption, amongst others, are being given great attention. Regional cooperation is being strengthened across the region, he added, and the European institutions are rmly committed to working together with their partners in Southeast Europe to alleviate the impact of the economic crisis and help lead them down the path towards European integration.
SESSION I
Making 2010-2020 the Decade of the Balkans
All the countries in the Western Balkans are focused on joining the European Union, began Nikola Gruevski, Prime Minister of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Some are more successful and others less but what is important is that all the countries are focused in the same direction.
Eduard Kukan MEP and Michael Leigh engaged in conversation with other speakers before the summit.
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It is also important to consider the unity of effect that is created across the region through the process of enlargement, Gruevski added. When the European Commission announced last October that the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia was ready to open its accession negotiation process, this sent a positive sign to the other Balkan countries. The Western Balkans, stated Milo ukanovic, Prime Minister of Montenegro, is entering a new European phase. All of our countries are now bound by commitment to maintaining stability of the region and intensifying mutual cooperation.
Let me paint you a picture of a possible 2020; lets dream a little bit. The feud between Greece and Macedonia over the name issue has been resolved. Bosnia and Herzegovinas government is functioning well. Bilateral relations between Serbia and Kosovo are stable and constructive. The countries in the region are either celebrating their accession or, at least, know the date of the big day for them. What would you call this picture? Utopia? I would call it a very courageous dream.But this is a dream which could be made a reality.
Eduard Kukan MEP, Chairman of the European Parliament Delegation to Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, and Kosovo
The EU membership prospect, continued ukanovic, has had the effect of creating a better and more stable situation than we have ever seen in our recent history. This promise has helped to create a culture of peaceful dialogue within and between the historically divided states of Europes most volatile region. In his opening remarks, Eduard Kukan MEP, Chairman of the European Parliament Delegation to Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro,
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and Kosovo, invited the summit to imagine a bright future for the Balkans. Let me paint you a picture of a possible 2020; lets dream a little bit. The feud between Greece and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia over the name issue has been resolved. Bosnia and Herzegovinas government is functioning well. Bilateral relations between Serbia and Kosovo are stable and constructive. The countries in the region are either celebrating their accession or, at least, know the date of the big day for them. What would you call this picture? Utopia? I would call it a very courageous dream. But this is a dream which could be made a reality.
Moderator Giles Merritt, Slovenian Prime Minister Borut Pahor, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Prime Minister Nicola Gruevski, and Republic of Lithuania Minister of Foreign Affairs Vygaudas Uackas engage in lively and informal debate.
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Stepping stones
Prime Minister ukanovic told the summit that there are three main concerns from the point of view of policymakers in the Western Balkans which need to be acknowledged during the enlargement process. The rst is institutional rehabilitation and institutional building across the region, which still remains a mixture of problems and solutions (from post-conict rehabilitation, institutional building, international presence and the so-called phenomenon of incomplete states to the EU integration). These reforms must be handled carefully, as each case calls for a tailor-made solution. With the Lisbon treatys ratication, the EU is better placed to provide the support to strengthen what are sometimes weak and disorganised institutions.
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We have spent the last year focusing more on the economic crisis than on enlargement, agreed Borut Pahor, Prime Minister of Slovenia, but now that the Lisbon treaty is in place, we are better placed to continue with it. We need to carry out reforms primarily for our own sake, in the best interest of our citizens, ukanovic continued. But a positive response on the EUs policy of promoting progress of states according to their performance is helping us work better, harder and faster. Great strides have already been made in this direction, as is demonstrated by the achievement of visa liberalisation for Macedonians, Montenegrins and Serbs.
Though the revival of nationalism is not entirely behind us, we can see that the process of democratisation is indeed ahead of us.
Milo ukanovic, Prime Minister of Montenegro
Finally, but not less important, is the awareness that enlargement fatigue, or as one might call it, fatigue from the EU, could become a pretext or create a new phenomenon of transition fatigue in the countries of the region, said ukanovic. We need to allow, as soon as possible, our citizens to live their lives as they would as citizens of the EU. It is risky to use enlargement fatigue as a pretext to slow down the enlargement process, he added, and with this in mind, the Balkan countries need to implement the necessary reforms to achieve integration sooner rather than later. Integration in the EU is above all, from our perspective, a guarantee of
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long- term stability. For this reason the integration of democratic and developed Balkan states into the EU is in the best interest of all parties involved.
Stumbling blocks
Offering the perspective of a European policymaker, Kukan introduced four major issues facing the Balkans as stumbling blocks to EU accession. Firstly, he offered, is the issue of the nationalism which has for a long time been a determining factor in the historical difculties which continue to plague the region. Patriotism is a ne value which can be found throughout the EU member states, he explained, but it is only healthy patriotism that goes with the EU. Therefore, the negative aspects of nationalism, such as isolationism and intolerance, need to be subdued in the political identities of the Western Balkans.
Two of the basic pillars of the OECDs work are investment and government capacity. There will be no investment if there is no credibility in the government and there can be no real development in the state without investment.
Aart de Geus, Deputy Secretary General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Responding to this, Prime Minister ukanovic offered that the prospect of EU membership has already resulted in a decline of nationalism and populism in the politics of the region and that, though the revival of nationalism is not entirely behind us, we can see that the process of democratisation is indeed ahead of us. Secondly, Kukan continued, is the issue of responsible governments and citizenry. The region needs responsible governments to implement positive
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policies and responsible citizens to ensure government accountability. In order for this process to work, he added, there must be cooperation between all the partners in civil society. This notion of governance has an economic impact, contributed Aart de Geus, Deputy Secretary General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The OECDs mandate in the region is to facilitate its economic development, he explained, a large part of which is to attract more investment.
Jelko Kacin MEP, Vice-Chairman of the European Parliament Delegation to Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo, interacts with the panel during the question and answer session.
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Two of the basic pillars of the OECDs work are investment and government capacity. There will be no investment if there is no credibility in the government, he said, and there can be no real development in the state without investment. If Balkan states can build up their dependable and accountable government structures, this will add to their economic stability and growth. A third issue holding back Balkan integration is regional cooperation, elaborated Kukan. It is difcult to speak of cooperation in the region given its painful history, he ceded, but I believe that the EU can break the cycle. Indeed, as many participants to the debate pointed out, there have been many good initiatives to promote regional cooperation in the past few years, including infrastructure projects, visa liberalisation and the lowering and lessening of trade barriers in the region. The European integration experience of the Baltic States shows that the spirit of cooperation and condence is a strong prerequisite f or EU and NATO membership, contributed Vygaudas Uackas, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania.
We politicians in the EU must remind and remind again about the peace and stability dividends that membership in the EU provides.
Vygaudas Uackas, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania Finally, Kukan concluded, is the issue of promoting good bilateral relations between the Western Balkan states and the member states of the EU. This is of critical importance to the future of the integration process but should not be seen as unidirectional. As the countries in the region move closer towards EU membership, explained Minister Uackas, we politicians in the EU must remind and remind again about the peace and stability dividends that membership in the EU provides.
Bilateral issues
The issue of bilateral relations gures highly in any debate on the region. Problems in this area sometimes have their roots in conicts that are decades, if
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not centuries, old. For dozens of years, this region has been painted as a volatile hot spot of political, religious and social unrest and, as a result, there have been several points of contention with its EU member state neighbours. Overcoming this volatility, agreed many participants, will be one of the major stepping stones to EU enlargement to the region. If there is one characteristic of the Western Balkans that creates problems, explained Pahor, it is that there are too many emotions in the air! He continued his point, saying that the responsibility of politics is to take these emotions and to place them into a rational framework where they become an asset and not a liability.
If there is one characteristic of the Western Balkans that creates problems, it is that there are too many emotions in the air! The responsibility of politics is to take these emotions and to place them into a rational framework.
Borut Pahor, Prime Minister of Slovenia Croatia and Slovenia and Greece and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia were the two most politically salient disputes that were raised at the summit and addressed by the panellists. These disputes served to illustrate the positive and negative sides of the issue of bilateral relations. Gruevski made an appeal for the cause of his countrys dispute with Greece over the name Macedonia. Problems between countries cannot be solved by blackmail, he claimed. We need to look to the future for a solution which we both want and need. In the recent period, he added, there have been intensive talks with the parties involved which seem to offer some promising results for the future. The EU will be complete, he insisted, when all the members of the Western Balkans become members.
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As the only Greek on the panel, co-moderator Nikolaos Tzifakis, Head of the International Cooperation Department of the Constantinos Karamanlis Institute for Democracy, responded to Gruevskis statement.
There should be no more hesitation. We need further enlargement and we need it at the fastest possible pace. The stability of the Balkans is the key issue; if one corner of Europe is threatened, then the whole of the EU is.
Nikola Gruevski, Prime Minister of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
It is not a question of blackmail, he replied, but there have been 14 years of negotiations on the issue without any obvious results. Greeces policy aims at generating a momentum for the intensication of the efforts of both parties in order to reach a mutually acceptable solution to their dispute. Speaking of the other prevalent bilateral question, the recently resolved border dispute between Croatia and Slovenia, Prime Minister Pahor suggested that we must all deal with our bilateral issues sooner rather than later. Finally we decided that enough was enough, that we would put forth all of our efforts to resolve the issue in the European spirit. Thanks in large part to the facilitation by Olli Rehn, European Commissioner for Enlargement, and the support of Swedish Presidency, as well as the cool headed politicking of Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor of Croatia, he continued, Croatias accession process has been unblocked and the country could be ready to accede as soon as next year.
Stability for the future

With issues yet to be resolved in the region of the Western Balkans: governance in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the question of Kosovos independence, to
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name only two; the decision makers in both the EU and Southeast Europe have been orbiting closer and closer to each other. There should be no more hesitation, concluded Prime Minister Gruevski, we need further enlargement and we need it at the fastest possible pace. The stability of the Balkans is the key issue; if one corner of Europe is threatened, then the whole of the EU is. The intertwined political, social and economic realities of the EU and Southeast Europe call for speedy integration, agreed Prime Minister Pahor. It is up to the institutions to do as much as possible with the leaders of the region to move ahead with reforms and complete the acquis communautaire and to support the Balkans in their accession process, he concluded. Europe will not be united and unied without the Balkans, concluded Minister Uackas. In his closing remarks, Aart de Geus of the OECD told the summit that looking at the history of enlargement in Europe and the recent history in Southeast Europe, it gives me hope that more things are possible than we can see right now. This optimistic point of view was encompassed by the consensus of the participants at the debate: the future of the Western Balkans lies in Europe.
The summit welcomed an audience of over 300 concerned stakeholders, including high-level decision-makers, policy experts and business leaders from Southeast Europe and the European Union, and international press.
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SESSION II
Strengthening ownership: promoting regional cooperation and enhancing local capacities
When it comes to regional cooperation in the Western Balkans, began comoderator Tim Judah, Western Balkans Correspondent for The Economist, it is important to realize that in the past months, there has been much more happening than it appears to the outside world. One of the ironies is that a lot of what the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) is doing is the bread and butter of modern life. The issues tackled are boring, so journalists dont report on it. This, however, does not mean that there is no progress, he insisted. In fact, Judah said, the question of the Western Balkans is much like a rollercoaster; positive steps in the integration process create a feeling of momentum which propels the leaders in the region to push for what needs to be done. Boidar elic, Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia, commented on the Balkan states lack of power to pursue regional initiatives. The Western Balkans should be empowered to collaborate more. If one looks closely, one sees that there is not that much empowerment there, he asserted. The region of the Western Balkans needs to take this matter into its own hands, he continued. We in the region need to earn our empowerment by working more, and more closely, so as to present concrete proposals that the European Union can understand; in order to work as Europe works. Co-panellist Hido Bicevic, Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), supported elics assessment. The essential mission, he said,
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is to form regional cooperation in the context of Europe. This is a testing ground for future cooperation in the broader context of the European Union.
The substance of the Regional Cooperation Council is that, for the first time in modern history, the countries of the Western Balkans have decided to take this cooperation into their own hands.
Hido Bicevic, Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) There is a strong link between the enlargement process and regional cooperation, agreed Georgios Koumoutsakos MEP, Member of the European Parliament Committee on Transport and Tourism and Substitute Member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs. Enlargement is synonymous with democracy and reform and this is what the countries of the Western Balkans need.
Enlargement is synonymous with democracy and reform and this is what the countries of the Western Balkans need.
Georgios Koumoutsakos MEP, Member of the European Parliament Committee on Transport and Tourism and Substitute Member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs
Promoting regional cooperation

The reality, said Bicevic is that prior to the inception of the RCC in 2007, decisions on issues in the region had always been made by outsiders. The RCC has taken steps towards consolidating the integration process and bringing it under local ownership. There have been great advances in the region during the recent period, Bicevic continued, but the network of remaining open issues needs to be addressed and resolved in order not to obstruct the road ahead.
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In his keynote address, Boidar elic offered that the best advice I have ever received in the area of European integration was to start behaving as if you were already a member of the European Union.
The best advice I have ever received in the area of European integration was to start behaving as if you were already a member of the European Union.
Boidar elic, Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia
With this advice in mind, he proposed 6 important areas in which the region should cooperate in order to demonstrate a commitment to the European framework and the regions alignment with broader European values. These are: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Collaboration in the ght against organised crime, fraud and corruption Developing the road, rail, river transport community of Southeast Europe Involvement in the Danube Strategy alongside EU member states Inclusion and recognition of the Roma population A proposed conference in Sarajevo in May to discuss refugees and internally displaced persons (IDP) 6. Working constructively to promote a knowledge economy and combat the brain drain of the region If we can deliver on this exciting regional agenda, I think we will be able to elicit much more support from the European Union and its partners, he concluded.
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We are looking for accelerated economic development with a focus on energy, infrastructure and transportation reforms, conrmed Bicevic, speaking for the RCC. Pierre Mirel, European Commission Director for Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, and Kosovo Issues in the Directorate General for Enlargement, agreed substantially with this agenda, emphasising that the countries in the region need to move away from nice statements to a process of genuine cooperation.
The Danube Strategy is a great, concrete project for the region. History has taught us that trade and investment are great avenues towards reconciliation. To be able to move forward successfully in the Western Balkans, one has to overcome the legacy of the past.
Pierre Mirel, European Commission Director for Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, and Kosovo Issues Mirel continued, explaining the European Commissions support for several of the initiatives mentioned by elic. He offered the example one of many of the recent launching of the Western Balkans Investment Framework whereby the Commission, international nancial institutions (IFIs) and other donors will be the rst to co-nance projects, and in particular infrastructures. This investment compact is an important step towards strengthening economic and trade ties between Southeast Europe and the EU. The Danube Strategy, which itself aims to deepen and expand cooperation between the countries through which the Danube River ows, is a great, concrete project for the region. History has taught us that trade and investment are great avenues towards reconciliation, Mirel noted. To be able to move
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forward successfully in the Western Balkans, one has to overcome the legacy of the past.
Is cooperation enough?
elics optimism on the future of regional cooperation was not shared by all of his co-panellists. We see with some sorrow that cooperation in the region does not work and is not strong enough, lamented Ingeborg Grssle MEP, Member of the European Parliament. Membership in the EU is not a beauty contest, she said. If we cannot maintain the legal community, it is game over for the EU. She urged a re-evaluation of the European Commissions enlargement machine, in particular the apparently lax anti-corruption and anti-fraud mechanisms, which she blamed for the premature accession of Bulgaria, a country still plagued by rampant corruption. The EU is not working properly right now, she asserted.
Session II moderators Tim Judah, Western Balkans Correspondent for The Economist, and Giles Merritt, Secretary General of Friends of Europe.
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We cannot accept countries that cannot apply the acquis communautaire. She called for caution in the integration process of the Western Balkans and for more oversight and involvement from the European institutions.
Membership in the EU is not a beauty contest. If we cannot maintain the legal community, it is game over for the EU.
Ingeborg Grssle MEP, Member of the European Parliament If we do not work seriously with the countries in questions and if the European Commission does not intervene to work more with them, Grssle concluded, we will end up with the same situation we have seen in Bulgaria. Responding to Grssle, Vladimir Drobnjak, Chief Negotiator for EU Accession Negotiations in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of Croatia, told the participants that the enlargement process has been rened following the accession of Romania and Bulgaria in 2007. The process is much more difcult now, he said, and new benchmarks will ensure that countries planning to enter the EU will be 100% ready. Reacting to Grssle, Mirel underlined the overall good track record of acquis implementation by the 10 new member states. The EU is functioning well following their admission, he said. The basic strategic needs of the region call for a persistence from both sides of the enlargement process to continue the momentum after the proposed integration of Iceland and Croatia next year, added Bicevic. The enlargement process is a difcult road to travel down, conrmed Koumoutsakos, and the countries of the Western Balkans need guidance to navigate it. However, he continued, it must be admitted that the EU has not always sent an encouraging message.
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The message most frequently broadcast in the previous period has been a warning of enlargement fatigue; of the very long and difcult path towards institutional reform, he added by way of clarication. There has been suspicion from the region that focus on regional cooperation by EU institutions is a tactic to replace full accession, leading many countries to feel that the Thessaloniki Agenda for the Western Balkans had been abandoned.
Enlargement is not just a political process but a technical and legal one as well. And it is in the technical and legal framework that regional cooperation will bear fruit.
Vladimir Drobnjak, Chief Negotiator for EU Accession Negotiations in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of Croatia
Enlargement is not just a political process but a technical and legal one as well. And it is in the technical and legal framework that regional cooperation will bear fruit. However, countered Drobnjak, with Croatias recent successes in the accession process, the European Commission Directorate General for Enlargement is sending a strong message of encouragement that internal reforms and adherence to the Thessaloniki Agenda are successful steps towards integration. Enlargement is not just a political process but a technical and legal one as well, he added, and it is in the technical and legal framework that regional cooperation will bear fruit.
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The morning plenary sessions were followed by an economic roundtable that explored what the future will hold for Balkan economies.
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Afternoon: Economic Roundtable
SESSION III Do the economic storm clouds have a silver lining for the Balkans?
The plenary sessions were complemented by an economic roundtable during which over 60 senior discussants gathered to discuss the future of economic recovery and reform in the region. Opening the rst roundtable session, co-moderator Alistair Nolan, Head of the Investment Compact for South East Europe at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), provided a snapshot of the economic situation in Southeast Europe. Economic growth in the Western Balkans was strong up until the third quarter of 2008, he began, but by early 2009 many economies in the region had gone into recession. This recession was an imported crisis, he continued, a result of the global economic downturn. We actually see that the impact of the crisis in the Western Balkans seems closely related to the degree of integration of the different economies with the Eurozone markets, Nolan asserted. The impact was therefore most severe in Croatia (as well as member states Romania and Bulgaria), while Albania has been less severely affected and, along with Kosovo, is projected to achieve growth in 2009. Summarising the effects of the global economic downturn, Nolan told the participants that the crisis has exposed the aws of a growth model which did lead to high rates of growth from 2000 to 2007; but this growth was based on rapid expansion of credit and on increases in domestic consumption rather than investment of the best sorts. Really what the crisis has underlined is something that has to do with the regions broader competitiveness, the regions ability to pay for itself in the global marketplace, Nolan concluded.
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Improving government involvement

In his opening remarks, introductory discussant Tim Brett, President of the Alpine and Adriatic Business Unit of The Coca-Cola Company, highlighted the importance of economic growth for the region. The speed at which the countries of the Western Balkans can join the EU depends in part on the continued growth of the areas economies.
The speed at which the countries of the Western Balkans can join the EU depends in part on the continued growth of the areas economies.
Tim Brett, President of the Alpine and Adriatic Business Unit of The Coca-Cola Company If the crisis can be seen to have a silver lining, contributed discussant Sandra Bloemenkamp, Manager of the Europe and Central Asia Unit at the World Bank, it is that we have seen a number of governments in Southeast Europe looking with renewed interest towards how to better manage their economic needs. The roundtable agreed that there are a number of areas in which reforms are needed. The rst thing we have to focus on is productivity, said Tim Brett. As in business, there is probably room for improvement regarding how each of the local authorities optimise their resource allocation. This could be instrumental in cutting the amount of waste incurred by corruption in government structures, agreed Muhamet Mustafa, President of the Institute for Development Research (RIINVEST), Kosovo-UNMIK. The main problem with doing business in the Balkans is the corruption, he asserted, adding that the solution to this problem lies in the reforms outlined in EU Stability and Association Agreements (SAA) and the greater accession process. The Albanian authorities have shown another way to improve productivity in government processes, added Genc Pollo, Minister of State for Reforms and
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Relations with the Parliament of Albania. The country has recently adopted the implementation on a massive scale of information technology in its ministries and administrative structures. This has created a major enhancement in government capabilities and less corruption, he said. Another key area where governments need to be involved is in competitiveness, alleged Brett, claiming that the longer it takes us in the Balkans to improve overall competitiveness within countries and regions, the slower the process of economic growth will be. Reforms must be implemented throughout the region to make it competitive in global markets, he continued. This could take the form of tax reforms and legislation to generate a more level playing eld for companies wanting to enter Balkan markets. To support this idea, Brett provided the example of juice nutritional labelling legislation in Serbia. The Coca-Cola Company, after acquiring a Serbian juice company in 2006, found that the regulatory framework and capacity governing juice labelling and production control were not up to EU and international standards. This seemingly insignicant factor was creating an uneven advantage for free riders putting products with questionable quality on the market, so the company called the Serbian governments attention to the problem, which promptly resolved it. I was astonished at the speed of the governments actions on the matter, Brett recounted, stressing the need for government involvement in matters of competitiveness. He presented this issue as an important indication of promise for the regions broader competitiveness on the global level. The notion of competition should not be taken too far, warned discussant Will Bartlett, Senior Research Fellow at the London School of Economics, United Kingdom. There is a danger of competitiveness of tax regimes across the region, he said; the countries of the Western Balkans need to become more competitive with other regions in global markets, not with themselves. In order to attract more foreign investment, the Balkan countries need to foster regional cooperation on these issues, possibly within the framework of the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA).
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Promoting investment through a better business environment

We are only valid as a region of 55 million people, explained discussant Ivan Vejvoda, Executive Director of the Balkan Trust for Democracy of the German Marshall Fund of the United States in Belgrade. In a region of this size, cooperation on regional infrastructure projects with the goal of attracting investment should be a key element of the economic growth model, he added. Alistair Nolan supported this idea, stressing that the relationship between the economy, business, regional cooperation and EU integration is very important; therefore these elements must not be separated. The scal crisis, which has been created by a decrease in tax receipts and an increase recession-associated public spending, remains a risk to economic recovery in the region, Nolan told the roundtable. This scal crisis, he asserted, limits the room for manoeuvre for further government spending. Minister Pollo disagreed with Nolans interpretation. Albania was the only country with positive growth, he reiterated. This may be partly explained by the implementation in 2008 of a at tax of 10% on corporate earnings and income alike. Rather than decreasing government spending, he continued, these tax cuts had the double effect of improving the business environment and reducing tax evasion in Albania, which has kept government revenues at a sustainable level. Representing The Coca-Cola Companys business interests in the region, Tim Brett showed support for decreases in taxation. Taxation and social obligations structure and levels can be a deciding factor in whether or not to invest in the region, he said. Although the country made huge strides in the EU accession process, the percentage of personal income which goes towards taxes and social obligations in Croatia, for example, is amongst the highest in the Western Balkans and considerably higher than in many EU member states, he explained. Therefore, governments should not look towards augmenting business and consumer burden as a way to increase revenues but instead should work towards creating a more inviting environment to attract foreign and domestic investment.
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There is no golden rule that says that companies have to invest in an area which creates 1.5% of European GDP, concluded Brett. However, if the regions governments continue to improve the business environment, I believe that there is a huge possibility for increasing investment in the Balkans.
Educational and social reforms: a long-term perspective

Peace and education are the keys for development in the region, asserted introductory discussant Dusan Sidjanski, Professor Emeritus at the University of Geneva and Special Advisor to the President of the European Commission. Development in these areas will lead to stability, which in turn will lead to economic growth, he elaborated.
Peace and education are the keys for development in the region.
Dusan Sidjanski, Professor Emeritus at the University of Geneva and Special Advisor to the President of the European Commission
One of the greatest stumbling blocks to social reform in the Western Balkans is the question of national identity and the nation-state, continued Sidjanski. It seems that many want to have a nation-state with an ethnic or cultural majority dominating. This is not in line with the European concept of respect for minorities. For long-term economic growth, it is important to increase positive relations between the different ethnic and cultural groups in the region. According to Sidjanski, identity is built through the opposition to other former Yugoslav republics rather than in cooperation with them. This is shown, for
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example, in the effort to create different ofcial languages corresponding to the new states in the Balkans yugospace: Serbian, Croatian, Bosniak and Montenegrin, as opposed to one common Serbo-Croatian language. Respect for minorities is an issue that Kosovo takes very seriously, argued Ahmet Shala, Minister of Finance and Economy of Kosovo (under UNSCR 1244). All minorities are represented in the parliament and, on average, 4.8 times more funding goes towards minority groups than to the majority, he continued. We have taken this on, not only as an obligation to the EU, but based on their own merits, he concluded. This even treatment of minority issues by the hotly contested Kosovar Parliament demonstrates the dedication of some in the Western Balkans to European ideals. The fundamental problem in the Western Balkans is the use of cultural identity as an instrument for policymaking, insisted Sidjanski, citing the passion speakers in earlier sessions showed while discussing certain bilateral issues. This cultural prejudice must be excised from social identities in the region, beginning with a restructuring of the education system, he added.
We all agree that teaching young children that your neighbours are your friends is the best way to build sustainable peace.
Genc Pollo, Minister of State for Reforms and Relations with the Parliament of Albania Financing educational reform has been addressed in the greater discussion on Balkan integration, the roundtable heard, but there has been less focus on the substance of what should be taught. I am sure that the EU should place more importance in education, Sidjanski afrmed. It is between the ages of 3 and 10 that children begin to assimilate basic concepts and prejudices, so primary education is fundamental. The way in which national history and literature are taught is symptomatic, he continued. He suggested that the "Hands On"
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method of introduction to science (by Nobel Prize laureates Leon Lederman and Georges Charpak) being progressively used in the European Union under the name of Pollen should be extended in the region. It is a way of teaching science by experiments and logic, which has a positive secondary effect: learning to argue but also to respect the opponent. It is therefore a means for youth to be initiated to democracy. We all agree that teaching young children that your neighbours are your friends is the best way to build sustainable peace, conrmed Genc Pollo. The Council of Europe, he continued, has taken steps to institutionalise these attitudes by
Over 60 senior discussants were present to debate the economic realities facing the Balkans.
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publishing histories which treat the many cultural issues in the region more calmly and evenly. We must elaborate a commonly agreed upon history of the region, as did Germany and France following World War II, Sidjanski explained. Investing in a tolerant treatment of the shared history of the Western Balkans will, in the longterm, lead to more tolerant treatment amongst the populations which will in turn lead to more cooperation and regional integration and a further alignment with the attitudes of the European Union. More tolerance in primary education is a big step towards peace and stability in the region, but how strong is the connection between education and economic growth? Alistair Nolan mentioned a study undertaken by the OECD, the
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Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), which covered three economies in the region in 2006 and provided an overview of quality of initial education. The results showed that two of the economies have scores which put them far behind the OECD averages. In fact, were they able to bridge that gap, they would have signicantly better growth rates of up to 2% higher GDP.
The silver lining a nal word

In his closing remarks, co-moderator Alistair Nolan addressed the question of whether or not there is a silver lining in the economic outlook for the Western Balkans. If there is a silver lining, he said, it is not the kind of silver lining that we want. One problem with the economic crisis, he elaborated, is that it could serve to shorten the time horizons within which policymakers think. The kind of investments that we have been talking about to upgrade productivity and competitiveness are long gestating investments, he explained. They require long term investments in education and infrastructure. Even though reforms in the region have progressed, what the crisis has illuminated is the incongruity between the time required to secure positive reform and the time available for the same. There is a mismatch between what exists on paper and what exists in the real world, Nolan concluded. Most of the countries in the region have robust legal frameworks but enforcement is still very weak. The problem is in the capacities required to effect implementation. Faced with the twin problems of shortened timeframes and limited government capacity, it is likely that economic growth in the Western Balkans will continue to be fraught with difculties in the coming years.
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SESSION IV The challenge of infrastructure: can Balkan states share projects?

Co-moderator Giles Merritt, Secretary General of Friends of Europe, opened the nal session by saying that the whole issue of infrastructure will be a deciding factor in the inclusion of the Balkan countries in the European economy. The regions ability to innovate and the mobility of their labour forces will depend on the sort of infrastructure that they are able to build. The infrastructure needs are daunting and will need signicant investment over time, acknowledged introductory discussant Peter Sanfey, Lead Economist in the Ofce of the Chief Economist of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). Yet it remains to be seen from where this investment will come, even as initiatives are being developed by the public and private sectors as well as international nancial institutions (IFIs) such as the EBRD.
The infrastructure needs are daunting and will need significant investment over time.
Peter Sanfey, Lead Economist in the Ofce of the Chief Economist of the European Bank for Reconstruction a As had been mentioned throughout the summit, the future of the Western Balkans lies with integration into the European Union but, while part of this integration process requires the implementation of social and political reforms in the respective countries, introductory discussant Dirk Lange, European Commission Head of Unit for Croatia in the Directorate General for Enlargement, explained that it is clear that there is a need for a physical connection with the EUs infrastructure.
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The concept of regional cooperation holds particular relevance to the issue of infrastructure projects but, as participants at the summit heard throughout the day, the question of relations between Balkan states raises doubts about their capacity to work together. The need to strengthen ties in the Western Balkans was underlined by Ahmet Shala, Minister of Finance and Economy of Kosovo (under UNSCR 1244), who told the roundtable that the region must cooperate to nd the most rational way of pushing aside all physical and bureaucratic barriers, leaving aside whatever differences and historical background we may have.
Private-public partnerships
Referring to business interests in the Balkans, Peter Sanfey told the participants that the regions poor infrastructure creates obstacles to investment. When we ask businesses what are the main obstacles they face, he explained, we nd that the perceived difculty of infrastructure has gone up signicantly in the last few years. We need to work to improve this.
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One oft-cited avenue to increase the attractiveness of the region is private-public partnerships (PPP), offered Alistair Nolan. However, these types of partnerships are likely only in cases of small-scale infrastructure projects. Even in the US, he added, where private sector investment is the most advanced, only about 1% of the entire road network is toll roads. Mr. Nolan is right to be sceptical that PPP can solve all the problems of infrastructure, agreed Peter Sanfey, adding that the public sector is going to need to have a strong involvement in the improvement of infrastructure in the coming years but we think that there is scope for further development of welldesigned PPP. They are not easy to achieve, but there are some successes across the region that can be built on. The EBRD and other IFIs can help facilitate private sector involvement, Sanfey continued. A focus on regional integration, on projects that facilitate crossborder trade and investment would be a natural complement to other initiatives that have taken root in recent years, for example the CEFTA agreement which is lowering trade barriers. But you can only go so far in trade agreements if the infrastructure isnt there to facilitate trade, he admitted.
Developing infrastructure through regional cooperation

Ahmet Shala, in his opening remarks, explained that, considering the size of the markets in the Western Balkans when compared with, for example, China, it is very difcult to convince business to come invest in the region. These are relatively small countries we are talking about in terms of scope and population, agreed Dirk Lange. There is a common need for regional coordination if the infrastructure is to help economic development. I nd the gures alarming, opined Giles Merritt. The World Bank estimates that the Western Balkans will need to spend 27 billion euros over the next ten years to develop energy and environmental projects alone. This gure is liable to be dwarfed by investments needed in transport and communication. The European Commission has already committed 4 billion euros to the region for the period of 2007 to 2011 through the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA), Dirk Lange explained, allowing that this amount falls far short of the numbers needed to effect the necessary changes.
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What we try to do with the IPA support, he elaborated, is to help the countries to draw from other IFIs to implement the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF). The WBIF, launched in early December of this year, will serve to coordinate different sources of nancing for infrastructure development projects that specically support regional cooperation. Discussant Dominique Courbin, Head of the Western Balkans Division at the European Investment Bank (EIB) explained that the process of pooling of resources that will be generated by the Western Balkans Investment Framework is important because it builds on the long-standing cooperation of the European Commission, EIB, EBRD and the Central European Bank (CEB) in supporting projects in the Western Balkans. A stumbling block to the work of the WBIF will be establishing government policy oriented to a regional approach, asserted discussant Dragomir Markovi, General Director of Electric Power Systems, Serbia. There are a large number of proposed joint energy projects in the region, he said, listing off ve to demonstrate the point, but promoting regional interests over national interests is a very sensitive task for the mostly coalition governments in the region.
Kosovo, given enough time, will build roadways connecting Pristina to Albania but how can we be sure these roads will be continued? Considering Serbias attitude towards Kosovo, will they hold up their end of the bargain? We just dont know.
Ahmet Shala, Minister of Finance and Economy of Kosovo (under UNSCR 1244) Kosovar Minister Shala also voiced concerns about the Balkan states willingness to work together. Kosovo, given enough time, will build roadways connecting Pristina to Albania but how can we be sure these roads will be
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continued? Considering Serbias attitude towards Kosovo, will they hold up their end of the bargain? We just dont know, he concluded. Slavica Penev, Senior Research Fellow at the Economics Institute in Serbia, contradicted her fellow discussants, telling the roundtable that it was agreed at the Euromoney Conference in Dubrovnik in October that infrastructure projects in the region are one of the rst priorities for the countries in the region. It is up to the EBRD and other IFIs to support these plans, but the readiness of the region should not be doubted. Initiatives to support regional cooperation are of central importance to the greater economic development of the region, agreed Dirk Lange. The countries in the Western Balkans have to share projects otherwise they are doomed to fail, he said.
Regional cooperation and EU integration

Speaking from the perspective of the EBRD, Peter Sanfey introduced a challenge to improved funding of regional initiatives for infrastructure development, namely the reform decit found in the EU integration processes of the Western Balkan states. Looking at reform objectives across the region, he explained, we have found that three countries: Albania, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Montenegro stand out, not just for having a need for better quality roads and railways, but also for having a big reform decit. Though there is less of a decit in reforms in the other countries in the region, overall they are still far behind the EU member states known for their poor infrastructures, namely Poland, Hungary and Romania. This issue is being addressed by the EBRD, Sanfey concluded. If we are to speak about infrastructure, said Dirk Lange, let me mention the obvious point of view: the Western Balkans is surrounded by member states. It is clear that there is a need for a connection with EU infrastructure. An initiative showing some promise in the area of improving this connection is the South East European Transport Observatory (SEETO), he added. This
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project is designed to aid the development of the main transport connections in the area.
Let me mention the obvious point of view: the Western Balkans is surrounded by member states. It is clear that there is a need for a connection with EU infrastructure.
Dirk Lange, European Commission Head of Unit for Croatia in the Directorate General for Enlargement
Let me mention the obvious point of view: the Western Balkans is surrounded by member states. It is clear that there is a need for a connection with EU The goals of SEETO underline the greater aim of European integration for the region, continued Lange. It is clear that it is not only sufcient to design the main transport connections but that it is also necessary to harmonise technical specications in many areas. This harmonisation can best be carried out in the framework of the acquis communautaire which promotes standardisation across the EU member states. Aligning their infrastructural advances with the EUs existing standards will serve the purpose of bridging both the physical and legislative gaps that currently exist between the European Union and its inner courtyard. We are the inner courtyard of Europe and NATO, concluded discussant Ivan Vejvoda with considerable optimism. The fact of being straitjacketed, in a positive way, means that there is really no direction but forward for the development of the region.
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There are serious intentions in the region to recognise that they need to harmonise their legal systems, agreed discussant Slavica Penev, not only for the EU accession process but also to have a chance to compete in global markets. Competing in global markets is the economic endgame for the region, concluded Ahmet Shala at the end of the roundtable discussions. For the Western Balkans, this means working together all the way up to the European level. The European Union is competing with other global giants and we all need to work together to make Europe as competitive as we can.marketplace, Nolan concluded.
Dirk Lange commenting on the importance of a shared infrastructure in the region.
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ANNEX I - List of Discussants and Speakers

Jan Andersson, Member, National Parliament, Sweden (Riksdag), Committee on Industry and Trade Ihsan Atalay, Vice President, Project & Corporate Finance, Aktif Bank, Turkey Will Bartlett, Senior Research Fellow, London School of Economics, United Kingdom Hido Biscevic, Secretary General, Regional Cooperation Council, Bosnia and Herzegovina Sandra Bloemenkamp, Manager Europe and Central Asia Unit, The World Bank Henri Bohnet, Resident Representative in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, KonradAdenauer-Stiftung (KAS) Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Ofce Tim Brett, President of the Alpine and Adriatic Business Unit, The CocaCola Company, Austria Geert Cami, Co-Founder & Director Friends of Europe, Les Amis de lEurope Branislav Canak, President, Nezavisnost, Serbia Bratislav Ceperkovic, President of the Managing Board, Transnafta, Serbia Armand Clesse, Director, Luxembourg Institute for European and International Studies Marije Cornelissen, Member, European Parliament: Delegation to Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo Dominique Courbin, Head of Division - Western Balkans, European Investment Bank (EIB) Aleksandar Damjanovic, Chair of the Committee of Economy, Finance and Budget, National Parliament, Montenegro Aart Jan de Geus, Deputy SecretaryGeneral, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Bozidar Djelic, Deputy Prime Minister for EU Integration, Serbia Milo Djukanovic, Prime Minister, Montenegro Zoran Drakulic, President, East Point Holding, Serbia Vladimir Drobnjak, Chief Negotiator for EU Accession Negotiations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, Croatia Milka Forcan, Vice President, Delta Holding, Serbia Nathalie Furrer, Director, Friends of Europe, Les Amis de lEurope
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Andreas Galanakis Ingeborg Grssle, Member, European Parliament Nikola Gruevski, Prime Minister, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Vuk Hamovic, Group Chairman, Energy Financing Team (EFT), Serbia Andreja Jerina, State Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Slovenia, Government Ofce for Development and European Affairs Zeljko Jovanovic, Chair, National Parliament, Croatia, National Council for Monitoring Anti-Corruption Strategy Implementation Tim Judah, Western Balkans Correspondent, The Economist Georgios Koumoutsakos, Member, European Parliament: Committee on Transport and Tourism Eduard Kukan, Chairman, European Parliament: Delegation to Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo Dirk Lange, Head of Unit for Croatia, European Commission: Directorate General for Enlargement Michael Leigh, Director General, European Commission: Directorate General for Enlargement Robert Manchin, Chairman and Managing Director, Gallup Europe Dragomir Markovic, General Manager, PE Electrical Power Industry of Serbia
Dragica Martinovic, Director, Croatian Chamber of Economy, Brussels Ofce Giles Merritt, Secretary General, Friends of Europe, Les Amis de lEurope Srdjan Mihajlovic, General Manager of Public Enterprise, Transnafta, Serbia Miroslav Miletic, Chief Executive Ofcer, Bambi-Banat, Serbia Pierre Mirel, Director for Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, Kosovo Issues, European Commission: Directorate General for Enlargement Hedvig Morvai-Horvat, Executive Director, European Fund for the Balkans, Serbia Muhamet Mustafa, President, Institute for Development Research (RIINVEST), Kosovo-UNMIK Alistair Nolan, Head of the Investment Compact for South East Europe, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Borut Pahor, Prime Minister, Slovenia Genc Pollo, Minister of State for Reforms and Relations with the Parliament of Albania, Ofce of the Prime Minister, Albania Viola Puci, Executive Director, Albinvest, Albania Goran Radman, Chairman, Business Advisory Council for South East Europe, Greece
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Blerimh Reka, Ambassador, Mission of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to the EU Peter Sanfey, Lead Economist in the Ofce of the Chief Economist, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), United Kingdom Goran Saravanja, Chief Economist, Zagrebacka Banka, Croatia Ahmet Shala, Minister, Ministry of Finance and Economy, Kosovo (under UNSCR 1244) Dusan Sidjanski, Professor Emeritus and Special Advisor to the President of the European Commission, University of Geneva, Switzerland Branko Stefanovic, Founder and Chairman of the Board of Governors, Vern University of Applied Sciences, Croatia Margo Thomas, Regional Programme Coordinator, Foreign Investment Advisory Service, Serbia Osman Topcagic, Ambassador, Mission of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the EU Lidija Topic, Advisor, Regional Cooperation Council, Brussels Liaison Ofce Nikolaos Tzifakis, Head of the International Cooperation Department, Constantinos Karamanlis Institute for Democracy (CKID), Greece Vygaudas Usackas, Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lithuania
Ivan Vejvoda, Executive Director, The German Marshall Fund of the United States, Serbia, Balkan Trust for Democracy Per Vinther, President, Association of the Local Democracy Agencies, Italy Matjaz Vrcko, Secretary, International Affairs Directorate, Ministry of Transport, Slovenia Peter R. Weilemann, Director of the European Ofce, Konrad-AdenauerStiftung (KAS), Brussels Ofce Franc Zlahtic, Head of Unit, Ministry of Economy, Slovenia Gordana Zrnic, Director, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia, Brussels Ofce
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ANNEX II - Programme
MORNING: PLENARY SESSIONS
08.30 09.00 09.00 09.15 Welcome & Registration of Participants WELCOME ADDRESS by Peter R. Weilemann, Director of the European Ofce of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung OPENING ADDRESS by Michael Leigh, European Commission Director General for Enlargement
SESSION I
09.15 11.00
MAKING 2010-2020 THE DECADE OF THE BALKANS
In some ways the Balkans are teetering on the edge of a breakthrough that could transform the region economically and socially. But the first hurdle to be overcome is political, for today's early signs of a new democratic maturity have yet to be turned into moderate and constructive political processes that reject all forms of nationalism. How can the rule of law and the fight against corruption be strengthened? And in light of the EU's mood of enlargement fatigue, what should Brussels be doing to maintain the pace of reform in Balkan countries whose membership prospects seem to be stagnating? Aart de Geus Milo ukanovic Nikola Gruevski Eduard Kukan MEP Deputy Secretary General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Prime Minister of Montenegro Prime Minister of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Chairman of the European Parliament Delegation to Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo Prime Minister of Slovenia Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania
Borut Pahor Vygaudas Uackas
Moderated by Giles Merritt, Secretary General of Friends of Europe, and Nikolaos Tzifakis, Head of the International Cooperation Department of the Constantinos Karamanlis Institute for Democracy 11.00 11.30 Coffee Break
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SESSION II
11.30 13.00
STRENGTHENING OWNERSHIP: PROMOTING REGIONAL COOPERATION AND ENHANCING LOCAL CAPACITIES
The European Union's Stabilisation and Association Agreements have contributed to a significant shift in Balkan countries' relationships with the EU; today they are partners, whereas a decade ago they were more like Brussels' subjects. But if the western Balkan states are to take ownership of the stabilisation process they must develop and greatly intensify their regional cooperation. With this in mind, has the new Balkan-administered Regional Cooperation Council become an efficient instrument? To what extent could the EUs upcoming Danube Strategy enhance regional cooperation? What are national governments in the Balkans doing to encourage local decision making and a far stronger application of the EU's subsidiarity principle? What sort of benchmarking could ensure that civil society plays a greater role in all countries that aspire to eventual EU membership? KEYNOTE ADDRESS by Boidar elic, Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia Hido Bievic Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council Vladimir Drobnjak Chief Negotiator for EU Accession Negotiations in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of Croatia Ingeborg Grssle MEP Member of the European Parliament Georgios Koumoutsakos MEP Member of the European Parliament Committee on Transport and Tourism and Substitute Member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs Pierre Mirel European Commission Director for Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, and Kosovo Issues in the Directorate General for Enlargement
Co-moderated by Giles Merritt, Secretary General of Friends of Europe, and Tim Judah, Western Balkans Correspondent for The Economist 13.00 14.00 Networking Lunch
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AFTERNOON: ECONOMIC ROUNDTABLE SESSION III

09.15 11.00
DO THE ECONOMIC STORM CLOUDS HAVE A SILVER LINING FOR THE BALKANS?
The figures make gloomy reading; the Balkans' economic buoyancy, averaging 5% growth in recent years, has been abruptly shattered by the crisis. No longer boosted by the magnet of privatisation profits, foreign direct investment (FDI) has slowed to a trickle in most Balkan countries and there have also been slowdowns in such economic staples as exports of raw materials and tourism earnings. The substantial 4bn coming to the region during 2007-11 in pre-accession funding from the EU is becoming a lifeline rather than an aid to reform. But could the crisis be seen as a blessing in disguise, creating the conditions in which Balkan governments will find it easier to introduce the tough market reforms that are crucial to future competitiveness? What plans can western Balkan countries point to for improving education and training and boosting research and innovation? How can the importance of the shadow economy be reduced? Opening remarks by: Tim Brett Genc Pollo Dusan Sidjanski President of the Alpine and Adriatic Business Unit of The Coca-Cola Company Minister of State for Reforms and Relations with the Parliament of Albania Professor Emeritus at the University of Geneva and Special Advisor to the President of the European Commission
Co-moderated by Giles Merritt, Secretary General of Friends of Europe,and Alistair Nolan, Head of the Investment Compact for South East Europe at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) 15.30 16.00 Coffee Break
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SESSION IV
16.00 - 17.30
THE CHALLENGE OF INFRASTRUCTURE: CAN BALKAN STATES SHARE PROJECTS?
The future prosperity of the western Balkans will to a very large extent be determined by infrastructural decisions taken today. And the scale of infrastructural costs now facing the region is daunting; the World Bank estimates that between now and 2020 some 27bn will have to be spent on energy and environmental projects alone, and that takes no account of the road and rail transport links and industrial processing infrastructures that are vital to an efficient economy. What steps are Balkan governments now considering for joint projects and cross-border partnerships, and what advice have they been receiving from bodies like the European Commission, the European Investment Bank, the OECD and other multilateral agencies? What financing arrangements would be on offer if Balkan governments began to view economic policymaking as a regional rather than national matter? Opening remarks by: Dirk Lange Peter Sanfey European Commission Head of Unit for Croatia in the Directorate General for Enlargement Lead Economist in the Ofce of the Chief Economist of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Minister of Finance and Economy of Kosovo (under UNSCR 1244)
Ahmet Shala
Co-moderated by Giles Merritt, Secretary General of Friends of Europe,and Alistair Nolan, Head of the Investment Compact for South East Europe at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
17.30
End of Summit
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ANNEX III - List of Participants

(for Discussants and Speakers see p 48)
Filippo Addarii, Director, Euclid Network, United Kingdom Nerijus Aleksiejunas, Head of EU Enlargement Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lithuania Pascale Andrani, Ambassador, Delegation of France to NATO Albena Arnaudova, Communications Advisor, World Health Organization (WHO) Ofce at the European Union Angelica Attolico, Political Analyst, Unicredit Group, Italy Adrian Aupperle, Policy Ofcer, Transparency International Gani Azemi, Correspondent, Qendra Pr Informim e Kosovs (QIK) Ana Babovic, Member of European Integration Team, Ofce of the Deputy Prime Minister for EU Integration, Serbia Tomasz Banka, Administrator, European Parliament: Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Martin Banks, Journalist, The Parliament Magazine Miklos Barabas, Member of the Contact Group on Western Balkans, European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) Dragan Barbutovski, Senior Consultant, Weber Shandwick Branko Baricevic, Ambassador, Mission of Croatia to the EU Sandro Baricevic, Corporate Identity, Public Affairs & Communications Manager, The Coca-Cola Company Michelle Barrett, Regional Programme Ofcer, USAID Regional Services Center for Europe and Eurasia, Hungary Lubomir Batary, COWEB Delegate, Permanent Representation of the Slovak Republic to the EU Jan Bverstrm, Information Specialist, European Parliament Adam Bennett, Senior Advisor, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Alexandre Berlin, Honorary Director, European Commission Janusz Bielecki, Head of Unit, Council of the European Union Michael Bird, Regional Director South East Europe, British Council, Austria Steven Blockmans, Senior Research Fellow, T.M.C. Asser Instituut, the Netherlands Peter Bonin, Fund Manager Open Regional Funds South East Europe, Deutsche Gesellschaft fr Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ), Montenegro Adelaide Boodts, Junior Research Fellow, Institute franais des relations internationales - Bruxelles Laure Borgomano, Conseillre, Delegation of France to NATO Mavrov Borislav, Senior Expert, European Institute, Bulgaria Marc Botman, Head of Unit Austria and Slovenia, European Commission: Directorate General for Regional Policy Dejan Bozovic, Journalist, TV Montenegro Veit-Ulrich Braun, Cameraman, Radio Televizija Slovenija Oleg Bredikhin, First Secretary, Mission of the Russian Federation to the EU Tatjan Butorac, EU Liaison Manager, Heinrich Boell Foundation Alain Camu, Treasurer, European Movement International Bo Caperman, Programme Manager, European Commission: Directorate General for Enlargement Cagney Capps, Political Military Analyst, United States Air Force Enzo Caputo, Senior Associate, Economic & Policy Analysis, Development Researchers' Network (DRN), Italy Andrea Cellino, Director of Policy and Planning, OSCE Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina Marie-Hlne Chevallier, European Affairs Ofcer, Servier Barbara Chiappini, Head of the EU Task Force, Ministry of the Environment and Territorial and Marine Conservation, Italy European Union Task Force Dusan Chrenek, Head of Unit, Enlargement, European Commission: Directorate General for Agriculture and Rural Development Stian Christensen, First Secretary, Mission of Norway to the EU Efthimios Christodoulou, Chairman, Hellenic Petroleum, Greece Mihael Cigler, Western Balkan Special Adviser, Center for e Governance Development, Slovenia Paul Claes, Secretary General, European Federation for Intercultural Learning Rachel Claessens, Counsellor, Dynamic Resources Consult Philippe Claeys, European Government Sector Advisor, PricewaterhouseCoopers Kristof Clerix, Journalist, MO* Christopher Coakley, Press Ofcer, Group of the European Greens-European Free Alliance (Greens-EFA) Aleksandra Colic, Third Secretary, Mission of Montenegro to the EU Michel Courtin, Chairman, Dynamic Resources Consult Claudia Crawford, Resident Representative in Serbia and Montenegro, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS), Serbia Belgrade Ofce Stanislav Daskalov, Head of Brussels Liaison Ofce, Regional Cooperation Council Martin Dawson, Deputy Head of Unit, European Commission: Directorate General for Enlargement Fabrice De Kerchove, Project Manager, Fondation Roi Baudouin Stojan de Prato, Senior Correspondent on EU Affairs, Vecernji list Joan Delaney, Independent Consultant Polydoros Demetriades, Principal Administrator, European Commission: Directorate General for Education and Culture Franois de Ribaucourt, Photographer Besa Dervishi, Student, University of Geneva, Switzerland Maria Chiara Detragiache, Business Development & Marketing Assistant, MGM International Europe Verena Detzel, EU Business Development Advisor, PricewaterhouseCoopers Petrit Doberdocani, Business Developer, Euronet Consulting Ursa Dolinsek, Translator, Council of the European Union Meta Dragolic, Correspondent, Radio Televizija Slovenija Ovidiu Dranga, Ambassador, Embassy of Romania to Belgium Ilir Dugolli, Ambassador Designate, Embassy of Kosovo (under UNSCR 1244) to Belgium
56
Radka Edererova, Counsellor, Permanent Representation of the Czech Republic to the EU Dino Elezovic, Head of Ofce, Sarajevo Canton Representation Ofce Nina Elzer, Political Advisor to Nadja Hirsch MEP, European Parliament Tanja Fajon, Vice-Chairwoman, European Parliament: Delegation: EU-Croatia Gilbert Fayl, Secretary of External Affairs, European Academy of Sciences & Arts, Austria Ulric Fayl von Hentaller, Adviser to the President, European Academy of Sciences & Arts, Austria Pascal Fendrich, Academic Assistant, College of Europe Christopher Flores, Consultant, Aspect Consulting Catherine Flumiani, First Counsellor, Delegation of Italy to NATO Dominik Frelih, Policy Advisor to Alojz Peterle, MEP, European Parliament Stefan Friedrich, Research Ofcer, German Trade & Invest (GTAI) Zvonimir Frka-Petesic, Head of Press & Public Diplomacy, Mission of Croatia to the EU Javier Fuentes, Counsellor, Permanent Representation of Spain to the EU Dusan Gajic, Chief Editor, South East Europe TV Exchanges (SEETV) Vesko Garcevic, Political Director, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Montenegro Mihajlo Gavric, Environmental Protection Sector Manager, PE Electric Power Industry of Serbia Hans-Peter Gebhardt, International Relations Ofcer, European Commission: Directorate General for Information Society & Media Elena Georgieva, Policy Ofcer, European Commission: Directorate General for Health and Consumers Katja Gersak, Adviser to the Director, Pristop D.O.O., Slovenia Doretta Ghinzelli, Administrator, European Commission: Directorate General for Agriculture and Rural Development Dusko Glodic, Advisor, Ofce of the President, Republika Srpska Justyna Glodowska, Desk Ofcer, Enlargement, European Commission: Directorate General for Internal Market and Services Carmen Godeanu, Relations with the EU Institutions, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Brussels Liaison Ofce Blaz Golob, Director, Center for e Governance Development, Slovenia Ignacio Gomez Navarro, Master Student on European International Relations & Diplomacy, College of Europe Maximilian Gtz von Olenhusen, Policy Counsel, Novartis European Affairs Vincenzo Greco, Political Adviser, European Parliament Marek Grela, Director, Transatlantic Relations, United Nations, Human Rights and Counter-Terrorism, Council of the European Union Directorate General for External Economic and Politico-Military Affairs Boris Grigic, Ambassador, Embassy of Croatia to Belgium Niki Griller, Business Manager EU Affairs, Microsoft EMEA Wilfried Grommen, Regional Technology Ofcer, Microsoft Corporate Village Dilif Gungor, Turkish Industry and Business Association (TUSIAD)
Ingrid Habets, Assistant to the Director, National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI Brussels) Kenan Hadzimusic, Project Manager, European Citizen Action Service (ECAS) Bartosz Hakbart, Desk Ofcer for Consumer Policy, European Commission: Directorate General for Health and Consumers Muhamed Halili, Ambassador, Embassy of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to Belgium Mimoza Halimi, Ambassador, Mission of Albania to the EU Nicholas Hanley, Head of Unit, International Relations and Enlargement, European Commission: Directorate General for the Environment David Haugen, Head of Unit Enlargement/Western Balkans, Mission of the United States of America to the EU Kristian Hedberg, Head of Unit, European Commission: Directorate General for Enlargement Johann Herz, Programme Associate, International Security Information Service Europe (ISIS Europe) Mario Hirsch, Treasurer, Luxembourg Institute for European and International Studies Paulina Hoti, Member, National Parliament, Albania Committee for Economy and Finance Gabrielle Hubler, Journalist, South East Europe TV Exchanges (SEETV) Andras Hujber, Policy Ofcer, European Commission: Directorate General for Energy and Transport Michael Humphreys, Hon. Secretary, Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA) Brussels Ofce Stephen Hynd, Assistant, External Relations, Amnesty International EU Liaison Ofce Anna Ibrisagic, Member, European Parliament: Delegation to Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo Kire Ilioski, Ambassador, Chief of Mission, Mission of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to NATO Sorina Ionescu, Information Specialist, European Parliament: Directorate General for Information Zeljko Ivancevic, Director, FIMA-ECS European & Corporate Strategy is Masa Ivanis, Spokesperson & Media Advisor, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, Croatia Karin Jacobs, First Secretary, Political Section, Delegation of the Netherlands to NATO Ljiljiana Jankovic, First Secretary, Mission of Montenegro to NATO Eppo Jansen, Member, Advisory Council on International Affairs, The Netherlands Cristina Jorge, Liaison Ofcer, European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders (FRONTEX) Slobodanka Jovanovaska, Correspondent, Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung (WAZ) Gordana Jovanovic, Spokesperson of the Deputy Prime Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Montenegro Paul Jukic, Bosnia Desk Ofcer, United States Department of State (DOS) Aurelien Juliard, Administrator for Western Balkans, European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) Jelko Kacin, Vice-Chairman, European Parliament: Delegation to Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo
57
Rolandas Kacinskas, Head of Russia Division, Eastern Neighbourhood Policy Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lithuania Ivica Karas, Issue Manager, The European Cement Association (CEMBUREAU) Giles Keane, Director, Hill & Knowlton International Belgium Jakub Klepal, Deputy Director, Forum 2000 Foundation, Czech Republic Nikolay Kobrinets, Deputy Head of Mission, Mission of the Russian Federation to the EU Darja Kocbek, Journalist, Vecer, Slovenia Maja Kocijancic, Counsellor, Spokesperson, Permanent Representation of Slovenia to the EU David Koczij, Rapporteur, DKo Entreprises Heinz Koller, Deputy Head of Ofce, Representation of the Free State of Bavaria to the European Union Charalambos Kontonis, Political Affairs Manager, Political Desk Ofcer Bosnia & Herzegovina, European Commission: Directorate General for Enlargement Ivan Korcok, Ambassador, Permanent Representation of the Slovak Republic to the EU Basileios Koronakis, Deputy Head of Ofce, Regional Cooperation Council Brussels Liaison Ofce Myrofora Kostidou, Assistant to Michail Tremopoulos MEP, European Parliament Milica Kotur, Masters Student, College of Europe Jovan Kovacic, Chief Executive Ofcer, Global Communications Associates, United Kingdom Dana Kovarikova, Policy Coordinator, European Commission Olsi Kristo, First Secretary, Mission of Albania to the EU Lucia Kronsteiner, First Secretary, Permanent Representation of Austria to the EU Bozidarka Krunic, Counsellor, Mission of Montenegro to the EU Bert Kuby, International Relations Ofcer, Country Coordinator Turkey, European Commission: Directorate General for External Relations Alexey Kutahov, Manager Market Access Central Europe, Novartis Pharma, Austria Saso Kuzmanovski, Defence Counsellor, Mission of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to NATO Juri Laas, Political and Communications Advisor, Council of the European Union General Secretariat Matthias Langemeyer, Deputy Head of Unit, Directorate General for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission: Directorate General for Enlargement Marius Lazdinis, Administrator, European Commission: Directorate General for Agriculture and Rural Development Alen Legovic, Correspondent, Deutsche Welle Andrej Lepavcov, State Advisor for Foreign Policy, Ofce of the Prime Minister, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Amelie Lepinard, Policy Ofcer, European Commission: Directorate General for Information Society & Media Kevin Leydon, Brussels Representative, Institute for European Affairs (IEA) Simona Lipstaite, EU Policy and Liaison Assistant, International Crisis Group (ICG) Brussels Ofce Dejan Ljubinkovic, Publishing and PR Expert Associate, PE Electric Power Industry of Serbia Angela Longo, Junior Analyst, European Stability Initiative (ESI) Igor Luksic, Deputy Prime Minister, Ministry of Finance, Montenegro
Gjovalin Macaj, PhD Candidate, Teaching Assistant, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) Marko Makovec, Advisor to the Prime Minister, Ofce of the Prime Minister, Slovenia Renaldo Mndmets, Head of Unit Bulgaria, European Commission: Directorate General for Regional Policy Vasilis Margaras, Researcher, Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) Aleksander Marleci, Assistant to Doris Pack MEP, European Parliament John Martin, Development Consultant Micol Martinelli, Adviser, International Affairs, Association of European Chambers of Commerce & Industry (EUROCHAMBRES) Bozidar Masanovic, Correspondent, Delo Dalibor Matic, Third Secretary, Mission of Croatia to the EU Lazo Matovski, Member of the Cabinet, Ofce of the Prime Minister, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Sabina Mazzi-Zissis, Principal Administrator, European Parliament Danijel Medan, Diplomat, Third Secretary, Mission of Croatia to the EU Gerry Meeuwssen, Managing Editor, Knack Magazine Mentor Mehmedi, Member of Cabinet, Ministry of Finance and Economy, Kosovo (under UNSCR 1244) Christine Meisinger, International Coordination Ofcer and Negotiator, Albania / Bosnia & Herzegovina Unit, European Commission: Directorate General for Enlargement Sabina Melavc, Counsellor, Permanent Representation of Slovenia to the EU Heleni Michalopoulou, First Counsellor, Embassy of Greece to Belgium Thomas Miglierina, Correspondent, Radio Svizzera Tanya Mihaylova, Head of Department, Diplomatic Institute of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bulgaria Petra Miklavc, Correspondent, Slovene Press Agency Slavica Milacic, Ambassador, Mission of Montenegro to the EU Milo Milosevic, Graduate Student, University of Mannheim, Germany Boris Mirchevski, Third Secretary, Mission of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to the EU Snezana Miteva, Executive Manager, Macedonian Institute for Integration Ana Mitrovic, Leading PR Expert Associate, PE Electric Power Industry of Serbia Valrie Moutal, Project Manager, European Commission: Trans-European Transport Network Executive Agency (TEN-T EA) Dzenana Mulalic, Brussels Support Ofcer, Council of the European Union Aleksander Musikic, Business Assistant, EU Select Ilia Nezaj, First Secretary, Mission of Albania to the EU Olga Nicolae, Policy Advisor, International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) Biljana Nikolic, Media Advisor, Ministry of Economy and Regional Development, Serbia Roksanda Nincic, Ambassador, Mission of Serbia to the EU Gergana Noutcheva, Assistant Professor, University of Maastricht Predrag Novikov, Director, The Executive Council of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina Ofce for European Affairs
58
Karolina Nowak, Head of External Relations Unit, Permanent Representation of Poland to the EU Mary O'Mahony, Advisor to the Investment Compact for South East Europe, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Miguel Ortega, Journalist, Aqua Europa Doris Pack, Member, European Parliament: Delegation to Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo Kostas Panagiotopoulos, Deputy Counsellor, Political Section, Assembly of the Western European Union, France Miroslav Papa, Chief of Staff, Regional Cooperation Council, Bosnia and Herzegovina Jos Pascual Mateu, Head of International Ofce, Luwa Guiomar Payo Pea, FWC Project Manager, Euronet Consulting Vassiliki Pelleni, Desk Ofcer for Consumer Policy, European Commission: Directorate General for Health and Consumers Slavica Penev, Senior Research Fellow, Economics Institute, Serbia Adam Petheo, COWEB Diplomat, Permanent Representation of Hungary to the EU Anita Pipan, Ambassador, Embassy of Slovenia to Belgium Zamira Pode, Advisor of Tax Administration, Chemonics, Bosnia and Herzegovina Lea Poljancic, Head of Ofce, Croatian Regions Ofce Gordana Popovic, Ofcer, European Commission Executive Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation (EACI) Zoran Popovic, Protocol Ofcer, Ofce of the Prime Minister, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Goran Pranjic, Counsellor, Embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina to Belgium and to NATO Antoinette Primatarova, Programme Director, Political Research, Centre for Liberal Strategies, Bulgaria Drazen Puljic, Youth Work Development Policy Ofcer, European Youth Forum (YFJ) Andrzej Pyrka, Research Analyst, Gallup Europe Ivana Radosavljevic, Second Secretary, Mission of Serbia to the EU Nikola Radovanovic, Ambassador, Embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina to Belgium and to NATO Milos Radulovic, Masters Student, College of Europe Natacha Rajakovic, Freelance Journalist & Consultant Nikolas Rajkovic, Assistant Professor, Kyong Hee University, Republic of Korea Albert Rakipi, Executive Director, Albanian Institute for International Studies (AIIS), Albania Anna Reece, Director, APCO Worldwide Brussels Ofce Dusan Reljic, Senior Research Associate, German Institute of International and Security Affairs Aurlien Renard, Director of Marketing, Gallup Europe Marzia Rivoira, Ofcial, European Commission: Directorate General for Enlargement Dominic Robinson, Account Manager, Hill & Knowlton International Belgium Milan Rocen, Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Montenegro Sylvain Roger, Commercial Director, CNN Paris Ofce, France Metka Roksandic, President of the Western Balkans Contact Group, European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) Kerstin Rosenow, Principal Administrator, European Commission: Directorate General for Agriculture and Rural Development
Agnieszka Rutkowska, Programme Manager, European Commission: Directorate General for Agriculture and Rural Development Katarina Rychtarikova, EU-Western Balkans Coordinator, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Czech Republic Ines Sabalic, Slobodna Dalmacija Sonia Snchez, Policy Ofcer, Delegation of the Junta of Andalucia in Brussels Bojan Sarkic, Director, Europe Matters Elissar Sarrouh, Director, United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) Brussels Ofce Brittany Schick, Balkans Analyst, United States Air Force Thomas Schneider, Head of International Affairs, European Association for Coal and Lignite (EURACOAL) Anke Schuster, Project Development & Liaison Ofcer, International Organization for Migration (IOM) Regional Liaison & Coordination Ofce to the EU Edward Seibert, Balkans Analyst, NATO - Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) Lazar Sestovic, Economist, Europe & Central Region, The World Bank Brussels Ofce Juraj Sevella, Assistant to Eduard Kukan MEP, European Parliament Aliaj Shkelquim, Cameraman, Alsat Teodora Simion, Second Secretary, Embassy of Romania to Belgium Cliff Simon, Director, Europe Ofce, Energy Experts International Chiara Spegni, Journalist, ANSA (Italian News Agency) Darko Stancic, Assistant Director, Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF) Peter Stano, Spokesman, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Slovakia Dinos Stasinopoulos Michel Stavaux, Managing Partner, Ofcium Consulting G.E.I.E. Milena Stefanovic, Delta Holding, Serbia Sasho Stefanovski, Cameraman, Ofce of the Prime Minister, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Ellien Stinissen, Trade Analyst European Affairs, Italian Trade Commission (ICE) Michael Stopford, Deputy Assistant Secretary General, Strategic Communications Services (SCS), North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) Public Diplomacy Division Veselin Sukovic, Ambassador, Mission of Montenegro to NATO Michael Swann, External Affairs, Council of the European Union Directorate General for External Economic and PoliticoMilitary Affairs Frederick Swinnen, Special Adviser to the Chief Prosecutor, International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), The Netherlands Panagiotis Tasiopoulos, Brussels Ofce Manager, Constantinos Karamanlis Institute for Democracy (CKID) Brussels Ofce, EPP Headquarters Jovan Tegovski, Special Envoy of the Secretary General for Relations with the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Regional Cooperation Council Brussels Liaison Ofce Vesna Teric, Journalist, TV Montenegro Victor Tilea, Administrator, Committee of the Regions Helene Tofte, Managing Director, The Brussels Ofce
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Dominik Tolksdorf, Research Fellow (Europe), LudwigMaximilians-Universitt Mnchen Center for Applied Policy Research, Germany Aleksandra Tomanic, Policy Assistant, European Commission: Directorate General for Enlargement Arenca Trashani, Member, National Parliament, Albania Committee for Legal Affairs, Administration and Human Rights Ian Traynor, European Affairs Editor, The Guardian Vesna Trnokop, Vice President, Economic and EU Affairs, European Integration, Croatian Chamber of Economy Gjeraqina Tuhina, Journalist, Radio Television of Kosovo (under UNSCR 1244) Arian Turhani, EU Account Executive, Global Public Sector, Unisys Anita Tusar, Political Advisor, Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) Ivo Vajgl, Member, European Parliament: Committee on Development Yolanda Valassopoulou, Policy Ofcer, Western Balkans, European Commission: Directorate General for Enlargement Hadrien Valembois, Assistant to the Head of Ofce, Fondation Robert Schuman Theodosios Vallas, Counsellor, Embassy of Greece to Belgium Soe van Bergen, Master Student, Universit Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) Cindy Van den Boogert, Administrator International Relations, European Commission: Directorate General for Information Society & Media Chantal van Ham, European Programme Ofcer, The World Conservation Union (IUCN) Regional Ofce for Europe Robert F. Vandenplas, Managing Director, Belgoprocess Magdalini Varoucha, Press Attach, Permanent Representation of Greece to the EU Sanja Vasik, Journalist, Telma Television, former Yugolsav Republic of Macedonia Kafja Vatter, Assistant to Doris Pack MEP, European Parliament Olivera Velasevic, Interpreter, Ofce of the Prime Minister, Montenegro Slave Velovski, Advisor, Ofce of the Prime Minister, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Adelina Vestemean, External Relations Coordinator, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Investment Compact for South-East Europe Dalma Vincze, Third Secretary, Delegation of Hungary to NATO Renata Vitez, Director of CEFTA Secretariat, Regional Cooperation Council Brussels Liaison Ofce Pedro Vitorio, Brussels Representative, Energias de Portugal (EDP) Natko Vlahovic, Executive Director, Croatia-EU Business Council Aleksandar Vlajic, Assistant General Manager, PE Electric Power Industry of Serbia Toby Vogel, Reporter Foreign Affairs, European Voice Dragoje Vojvodic, Journalist, TV IN, Montenegro Vojko Volk, Western Balkans Co-ordinator, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Slovenia Government Ofce for Development and European Affairs
Pavlos Voskopoulos, Bureau Member, European Free Alliance, Greece Ana Vucina Vrsnak, Correspondent, Dnevnik Vladimir Vucinic, Third Secretary, Mission of Montenegro to the EU Slavko Vukadin, Journalist, Hina Ana Vukadinovic, Adviser to the Prime Minister for European Integration, Ofce of the Prime Minister, Montenegro Andrijana Vukotic, Adviser to the Prime Minister for Media, Ofce of the Prime Minister, Montenegro Anja Vvedenskaia, Journalist, EU and NATO Observer, BBC Russian Service Marion Wambergue, International Relations Ofcer Negotiator, European Commission: Directorate General for Enlargement Michael James Warren, Head of Europe Ofce and Fundraising Director, Nonviolent Peace Force Europe Nicholas Whyte, Head of Brussels Ofce, Independent Diplomat Olaf Wientzek, Research Associate, Konrad-AdenauerStiftung (KAS) Brussels Ofce Sabina Wlkner, Director, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) Bosnia and Herzegovina Ofce Monika Zabel, Team Leader, Danish Management Group Alenka Zajc Freudenstein, Administrator, European Commission: Directorate General for External Relations Ivana Zerec-Kontic, Third Secretary, Embassy of Croatia to Belgium Kreshnik Zhega, First Secretary, Mission of Albania to the EU Gregor Zore, Head of Operations, Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF), Switzerland Erisa Zykaj, Correspondent, Top Channel, Albanian TV
Some of our VIP members
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A NEW ERA IN THE BALKANS

With the support of

A NEW ERA IN THE BALKANS

with the support of The Coca-Cola Company

with media partner Europes World

Winter 2009 Bibliothque Solvay, Brussels

SESSION IV - The challenge of infrastructure: 41 can Balkan states share projects?

A new era in the Balkans: Winter 2009

A new era in the Balkans: Winter 2009

A new era in the Balkans: Winter 2009

Morning: Plenary Sessions

A new era in the Balkans: Winter 2009

A new era in the Balkans: Winter 2009

A new era in the Balkans: Winter 2009

Making 2010-2020 the Decade of the Balkans

A new era in the Balkans: Winter 2009

A new era in the Balkans: Winter 2009

A new era in the Balkans: Winter 2009

A new era in the Balkans: Winter 2009

Milo ukanovic, Prime Minister of Montenegro

A new era in the Balkans: Winter 2009

A new era in the Balkans: Winter 2009

A new era in the Balkans: Winter 2009

A new era in the Balkans: Winter 2009

A new era in the Balkans: Winter 2009

Stability for the future

A new era in the Balkans: Winter 2009

A new era in the Balkans: Winter 2009

Strengthening ownership: promoting regional cooperation and enhancing local capacities

A new era in the Balkans: Winter 2009

Promoting regional cooperation

A new era in the Balkans: Winter 2009

Boidar elic, Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia

A new era in the Balkans: Winter 2009

A new era in the Balkans: Winter 2009

A new era in the Balkans: Winter 2009

A new era in the Balkans: Winter 2009

A new era in the Balkans: Winter 2009

A new era in the Balkans: Winter 2009

Afternoon: Economic Roundtable

A new era in the Balkans: Winter 2009

Improving government involvement

A new era in the Balkans: Winter 2009

A new era in the Balkans: Winter 2009

Promoting investment through a better business environment

A new era in the Balkans: Winter 2009

Educational and social reforms: a long-term perspective

A new era in the Balkans: Winter 2009

A new era in the Balkans: Winter 2009

A new era in the Balkans: Winter 2009

A new era in the Balkans: Winter 2009

The silver lining a nal word

A new era in the Balkans: Winter 2009

A new era in the Balkans: Winter 2009

SESSION IV The challenge of infrastructure: can Balkan states share projects?

A new era in the Balkans: Winter 2009

A new era in the Balkans: Winter 2009

Developing infrastructure through regional cooperation

A new era in the Balkans: Winter 2009

A new era in the Balkans: Winter 2009