16. 5. 2019 | Bled Strategic Forum, PR
Centre for European Perspective has together with Bled Strategic Forum supported Salient – Youth Conference titled “The Transatlantic Divide”
The Salient conference has always been about great content delivered in innovative ways. This year they have taken their approach a step further by introducing a 1+4 format: one whole day dedicated to public discussions with experts, policy-makers and political representatives, followed by four days of crisis-driven MUN and MEU simulations. This approach aims at providing a more focused learning experience that will give participants an opportunity to deepen their conceptual knowledge of the issues before testing it out in practice.
CEP has actively participated in one round table, titled “The Iran Deal: Beyond Salvageable?”, with CEP Executive Director Katja Geršak as a panelist, and project manager Meliha Muherina as moderator. The second panelist on the panel was Jožef Kunič, Former Ambassador to Iran.
The dispute over the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the ‘Iran deal’ has split European countries and United States. US Presidents’ decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal has led to serious transatlantic tensions. The disagreement and withdrawal came when bilateral issues between the two traditional allies have been compromised by many discords, such as trade tariffs, ecological policies, US Presidents complaints about Europe’s low defense spending and others. But the disagreement over the Iran nuclear deal is worrying because not only does it damage already detached transatlantic relationships but also due to the underlying political issue on dealing with the revolutionary regime in Tehran. Iran’s nuclear ambitions, aggression in the region and support for terrorism call for strong transatlantic unity. Instead, the West is divided. The panel that leaded to an active dialogue addressed the historical events leading to the current situation, its geostrategic importance as well as developed various possible scenarios for the future.
CEP is dedicated to supporting youth initiatives and looks forward to participating in future editions.
For more info about Salient please visit the Salient website.
17. 12. 2018 | Bled Strategic Forum, PR
Bled Strategic Forum Secretary General took part in First annual forecasting event “EU and Western Balkans in 2019”, held in Belgrade.
Event, organised by European Fund for the Balkans, Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG) and European Western Balkans, gathered more than 30 most influential opinion makers from the region and EU who gave their predictions about the trends and dynamics of policy developments in 2019. The aim of the discussions was to exchange views and to make conclusions that could influence the political decisions in the upcoming turbulent year.
What will post-election and post-Brexit EU look like? What could be predicted considering bilateral issues and regional cooperation in the Western Balkans? What trends the region could expect regarding the state of democracy, rule of law and media freedom? These are some of the topics discussed.
Main conclusion of the event was that European Union will not have the time for Western Balkans next year and, therefore, new energy for fight against stagnation and captured state has to be found. Read more about the discussion at
30. 11. 2018 | Bled Strategic Forum, PR
BSF representatives, BSF Programme Director Ambassador Mirošič and Young BSF Programme Director Ms Muherina, have participated at MED – Mediterranean Dialogues, which is the annual high-level initiative promoted by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and ISPI (Italian Institute for International Political Studies) in Rome. The event aims at drafting a “positive agenda” for the Mediterranean by stimulating debate and promoting new ideas, rethinking traditional approaches and addressing shared challenges at both the regional and the international level.
The four pillars
Rome MED builds upon four pillars: Shared Prosperity, Shared Security, Migration, and Civil Society and Culture. Debates on these topics are intended to complement analyses of current challenges with new ideas and suggestions to scale-up economic cooperation, overcome regional rivalries and conflicts, and ensure that adequate incentives for sustainable development are set in motion.
More info about the event can be found at https://med.ispionline.it/
23. 10. 2018 | Bled Strategic Forum, PR
The eighth Belgrade Security Forum titled “Finding Answers Together to the New Normal” concluded on Friday, with the members of the Executive Board Sonja Licht, Suzana Grubješić and Sonja Stojanović Gajić agreeing that EU should change its approach to the Balkans, and vice versa, that the Balkans should change its approach to the Union.
The discussions have been followed by a delegation of the Bled Strategic Forum, which has for over a decade addressed the questions and challenges of development and integration of the Western Balkans. Such discussions need to be hosted both inside the WB6, in the region and at the European stage as a multi-level approach is needed to successfully lead the countries onto the European future.
“It is extremely important that we have managed to bring the global debate home”, said President of the Belgrade Fund for Political Excellence Sonja Licht, summing up the impressions from the Forum.
She emphasised that, during the three days of Forum, “great sessions” focused on Middle East, Asian Century and the fourth industrial revolution took place, and assessed that those topics may not be as important on a daily political level, but that they will determine our future. Her recommendation for Serbia is to open itself, to learn and do as much as possible to ensure that its education system and citizens follow the new trends, such as fourth industrial revolution, which brings new reality.
“We have to be ready for it, even as a small and relatively underdeveloped country. We can leap very high if we prepare ourselves on time”, remarked Licht.
Bled Strategic Forum and Belgrade Security Forum are already seeking for common grounds that will be addressed at future forums and other events throughout the year.
23. 10. 2018 | Bled Strategic Forum, PR, Youth
CEP Project Manager Sabina Carli moderated a discussion “New faces of Western Balkans politics: continuity or change?” in the framework of the 2018 edition of Balkan SAYS – Security Architecture Youth Seminar in Ljubljana, Slovenia in the beginning of October. A night-owl session, focusing on the young leaders for reform, development and growth hosted Mr Daniel Fazlić, Pro Plus; Mr Luka Nikolić, Centre for International Public Policy; Ms Ivana Martac, Balkan SAYS Participant; and Mr Emir Hasanović, Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Macedonia.
An inclusive format of discussion delved into the challenges of persistent economic weakness, corruption, high (youth) unemployment, brain drain, combined with growing public frustration with politics and politicians, and renewed nationalist rhetoric. The fact is that the issues will have to be addressed by current and future leaders of the Western Balkan countries. Therefore, the people chosen to be in the position to address these problems will need to possess the necessary qualities to effectively deal with them, via experience or simply via a new perspective.
The question of old or new faces is one that sees prominence through much of the world, and it is no different in the Western Balkan region. Some prefer to put their trust into the faces they know, whilst some would look to entrust this process to new faces who, while less experienced, do not come with the baggage of the past, and who could potentially provide a new outlook or vision for their country.
The panel identified crucial pending reforms but also looked at the bright sides and successes from the past and present. Among the most prominent ideas of the discussion were participation and engagement of young people in decision-making processes, in democratic processes and in grass-root organizations.
Euro-Atlantic Council of Slovenia, the organizer of the Balkan SAYS seminar, has been an important partner of this years Young Bled Strategic Forum and the Centre for European Perspective.
16. 10. 2018 | Bled Strategic Forum, PR
CEP Project Manager Meliha Muherina has moderated a round table at 1st “VOICE UP” Western Balkans Youth Forum organized by Western Balkans Youth Cooperation Platform (WBYCP). WBYCP is a grassroots regional youth platform implemented by Cooperation and Development Institute (CDI), together with the umbrella youth organizations of the Six Western Balkans countries: National Youth Congress of Albania, National Youth Council of Macedonia, National Youth Council of Serbia, High School Students Union of Montenegro, Central Youth Action Council of Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina Association for United Nations, and with the support of Hanns Seidel Foundation.
With the aim to promote youth connectivity in the Balkans, WBYCP offers a unique and tailor-made space to youngsters from the region where they meet, plan, organise, implement and voice up their action. In WBYCP youngsters can find partners for joint activities, design and implement joint initiatives, exchange ideas, consult a youth library, and built and carry outreach and lobbying action. WBYCP is designed to function as a resource center for youth in the Western Balkans.
In the framework of its 2018 activities plan, WBYCP has organized two events on 9-12 October:
Youth Exchange Programme was organized from 9-11 October. It was execution of an outreach phase of the essay competition titled “Three reasons to stay in my country” launched by WBYCP in June 2018. 12 best essay authors have been invited to share and discuss youth emigration, its implications for the youngsters and the region, the necessary policy measures and actions to stem the loss of human capital and reverse it. WBYCP partner organizations and other stakeholders working with youth topics in the region and in EU have joined the debate. In the course of two days, the discussants unfold the ideas and issues expressed in the submitted essays which have been identified as some of the most pressing issues of Western Balkans Youth: (i) Education and Youth Employment; (ii) Youth role in WB6 institutional Governance and Policy Making.
WBYCP Forum was organized on October 12 and offered a discussion space where youngsters built up a common position and voiced up their shared understanding of present and future challenges, together with required action. They had the opportunity to discuss them with policymakers and other youth stakeholders in the region. A WB6 Youth Statement on Youth Migration in WB6 was drafted and submitted to the relevant decision-making actors. Instead of focusing on problem solving, the forum promoted positive examples of young people mobility – geographical and career-wise, experiences of building build social capital, successful actions of committed young citizen, and other beautiful and inspiring life experiences of Balkan youth.
