What Are the Realistic Capabilities of the Berlin Process and the Open Balkans Initiative?
In the Western Balkans, two initiatives currently stand out and, in a way, compete: the Berlin Process and Open Balkans. Both initiatives emphasise the European perspective and the strengthening of regional cooperation. On the one hand, for most countries in the region, the prospect of joining the E...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Institute of International Politics and Economics, Belgrade
2023-04-01
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| Series: | The Review of International Affairs |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://thereviewofinternationalaffairs.rs/wp-content/uploads/RI/2023/1187/RI-2023-1187-article-3.pdf |
| _version_ | 1797238998660284416 |
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| author | Sanja Jelisavac Trošić Mitko Arnaudov |
| author_facet | Sanja Jelisavac Trošić Mitko Arnaudov |
| author_sort | Sanja Jelisavac Trošić |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In the Western Balkans, two initiatives currently stand out and, in a way, compete: the Berlin Process and Open Balkans. Both initiatives emphasise the European perspective and the strengthening of regional cooperation. On the one hand, for most countries in the region, the prospect of joining the European Union seems too distant, uncertain, and fraught with many obstacles. On the other hand, regional cooperation is gaining momentum, with numerous agreements recently reached. But, so far, some Western Balkans countries have been unwilling to participate in the Open Balkans. The paper analyses the real capabilities of these two initiatives, both in terms of creating opportunities for the countries of the Western Balkans to come closer to the postulates of the European Union and progress on the path of joining it, as well as in terms of strengthening and facilitating regional cooperation between the respective countries. For that purpose, the authors used content and comparative analysis. The authors conclude that although both initiatives are hybrid, i.e., both contain political and economic interests, they will not significantly contribute to faster integration into the European Union or stronger regional integration or, in the last case, to the process of resolving existing disputes between countries. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T17:44:33Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f936ded9299247b4a2a461b93da1c8b5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0486-6096 2955-9030 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T17:44:33Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | Institute of International Politics and Economics, Belgrade |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Review of International Affairs |
| spelling | doaj.art-f936ded9299247b4a2a461b93da1c8b52024-03-27T14:17:25ZengInstitute of International Politics and Economics, BelgradeThe Review of International Affairs0486-60962955-90302023-04-017411875985https://doi.org/10.18485/iipe_ria.2023.74.1187.3What Are the Realistic Capabilities of the Berlin Process and the Open Balkans Initiative?Sanja Jelisavac Trošić0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0949-7052Mitko Arnaudov1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3274-347XSenior Research Fellow, Institute of International Politics and Economics, BelgradeResearch Fellow, Institute of International Politics and Economics, Belgrade, SerbiaIn the Western Balkans, two initiatives currently stand out and, in a way, compete: the Berlin Process and Open Balkans. Both initiatives emphasise the European perspective and the strengthening of regional cooperation. On the one hand, for most countries in the region, the prospect of joining the European Union seems too distant, uncertain, and fraught with many obstacles. On the other hand, regional cooperation is gaining momentum, with numerous agreements recently reached. But, so far, some Western Balkans countries have been unwilling to participate in the Open Balkans. The paper analyses the real capabilities of these two initiatives, both in terms of creating opportunities for the countries of the Western Balkans to come closer to the postulates of the European Union and progress on the path of joining it, as well as in terms of strengthening and facilitating regional cooperation between the respective countries. For that purpose, the authors used content and comparative analysis. The authors conclude that although both initiatives are hybrid, i.e., both contain political and economic interests, they will not significantly contribute to faster integration into the European Union or stronger regional integration or, in the last case, to the process of resolving existing disputes between countries.https://thereviewofinternationalaffairs.rs/wp-content/uploads/RI/2023/1187/RI-2023-1187-article-3.pdfberlin processopen balkanswestern balkanseuropean union integrationregional integrationcommon regional marketsingle market |
| spellingShingle | Sanja Jelisavac Trošić Mitko Arnaudov What Are the Realistic Capabilities of the Berlin Process and the Open Balkans Initiative? The Review of International Affairs berlin process open balkans western balkans european union integration regional integration common regional market single market |
| title | What Are the Realistic Capabilities of the Berlin Process and the Open Balkans Initiative? |
| title_full | What Are the Realistic Capabilities of the Berlin Process and the Open Balkans Initiative? |
| title_fullStr | What Are the Realistic Capabilities of the Berlin Process and the Open Balkans Initiative? |
| title_full_unstemmed | What Are the Realistic Capabilities of the Berlin Process and the Open Balkans Initiative? |
| title_short | What Are the Realistic Capabilities of the Berlin Process and the Open Balkans Initiative? |
| title_sort | what are the realistic capabilities of the berlin process and the open balkans initiative |
| topic | berlin process open balkans western balkans european union integration regional integration common regional market single market |
| url | https://thereviewofinternationalaffairs.rs/wp-content/uploads/RI/2023/1187/RI-2023-1187-article-3.pdf |
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