EU’s credible enlargement perspective has put the resolution of bilateral issues in the Western Balkans at the forefront of the EU accession process. The Berlin process, since its establishment in 2014, also places an emphasis on these issues. A crucial step forward was made in 2018 with the resolution of the almost three-decade long name dispute between Macedonia and Greece. There are other bilateral and reconciliation-related issues to be resolved in the region.

Besides closing bilateral issues, there are many other criteria that the countries from the Western Balkans need to meet in order to progress in the EU accession process. They need to deliver tangible and sustainable reforms in crucial areas including the rule of law, fight against corruption and organised crime, and public administration. These and other topics will be covered by this public discussion which will be moderated byMs. Tamara Grncaroska, Journalist at Telma TV, and it will include the following speakers:

Mr Marko Trosanovski
President, Institute for Democracy ‘Societas Civilis’

Keynote address
H.E. Mr Nikola Dimitrov
Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia

Discussion

15.30 – 16.15
Mr Florian Bieber
Director of the Centre for Southeast European Studies, University of Graz and BiEPAG Coordinator

Ms Marika Djolai
Peace, Conflict, Development Expert and Member of BiEPAG

Mr Srdjan Cvijic
Senior Policy Analyst at the Open Society European Policy Institute, Brussels and Member of BiEPAG

Ms Donika Emini
Researcher, Kosovo Centre for Security Studies

Mr Ioannis Armakolas
ʽStavros Costopoulosʼ Senior Research Fellow at the Hellenic Foundation for European amp; Foreign Policy and Assistant Professor in Comparative Politics of SEE at the University of Macedonia

Mr Zoran Necev
Senior Researcher and Coordinator of the Center for EU integration, Institute for Democracy ‘Societas Civilis’ and Member of BiEPAG

The Qamp;A session is scheduled for 16.15-16.35, and the working language of the conference is English.

Check the full agenda