The Balkans’ integration and future will be the theme of an international conference to be held at the Farnesina on 7 and 8 October. Organised by the NATO Defence College Foundation within the framework of the Italian EU Presidency, and in collaboration with the Balkan Trust for Democracy, this is the first high-level collaboration between an EU presidency and a NATO-affiliated think-tank.
Debate topics
The debate will centre on four topics, with Under-Secretary Benedetto Della Vedova delivering the conclusions: progress already achieved at regional level (with Italy’s help), remaining problems and what can be done to further develop collaboration; the recent Serbia-Kosovo accord as a model for the further transformation of lingering national issues into regional opportunities through the “soft power” of Europe; the status of EU and NATO integration of the region’s countries, not only in terms of each candidate’s features, but also in consideration of the role of Turkey in the area; Bosnia’s transition from the “cold peace” of Paris-Dayton toward a consolidated and stable federal entity – a transition that envisages Europe’s essential involvement in sustaining significant socio-political changes.
Twenty speakers
A total of 20 expert speakers from 17 will include FYROM Minister for Defence Zoran Jolevski, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs of Montenegro Vladimir Radulovic, Secretary-General of the Regional Cooperation Council Goran Svilanovic, and President of the Austrian Marshall Foundation and former UE Special Envoy to Kosovo (1998-1999) Wolfgang Petritsch,
