The CEU Center for European Neighborhood Studies (CENS) and the Andrássy University (AUB) are organizing the regional conference “Regional Cooperation and Regional Identity in the Western Balkans: Similarities and Differences” in Budapest. Maintaining good neighborly relations and participating in regional cooperation, as explicit conditions for progress towards EU integration, is one of the most efficient tools in the hands of Brussels to support stability in the Western Balkans. With the aid of regional cooperation, the EU aims to foster a shared understanding within the region that should have a positive effect on the stabilization of political regimes in the area. Despite these efforts, the Western Balkan countries have not created a joint understanding or image of the region, and have not agreed on what defines the region and where it belongs. The conference will examine the image construction and belonging issues, and furthermore will focus on specific events in the region, which shape the identity, leaving space for a more informal discussion with a high participation of the audience. More information is available here.
Source: Central European University