Following the idea born in the framework of the Berlin process to improve the perspective of young generations in the Western Balkans, and Slovenia’s commitment to be a front runner in this field – which was cemented with the adoption of the Positive Agenda for the Youth in the Western Balkans at Brdo-Brijuni process summit last spring –, a conference on the topic of the youth in the Western Balkans is being organized in the European Parliament. The aim of this conference is to give additional push to this topic ahead of the next Berlin process summit in Paris in July as well as to help improve the prospects of young people in the region by emphasizing the importance of the European perspective.

9:30 – 10:00                Informal exchange of views over coffee

10.00 – 10:20              Keynote Speech - Mrs Corina Cretu, EU Commissioner for Regional Policy

10.20 – 11.30              1. Panel: Positive Agenda for the Youth: a positive step in the right direction? Moderators: MEP Tanja Fajon and MEP Franc Bogovič

dr. Maja Makovec Brenčič, Minister of Education, Science and Sport of the Republic of Slovenia

Mr Blendi Klosi, Minister of Youth and Social Welfare of Albania – TBC

Mrs Darja Bavdaž Kuret, State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia

Mrs Tanja Miščević, Chief negotiator for Serbia’s accession negotiations with the European Union

11:30 – 11:40              Coffee break

11:40 – 12:50               2. Panel: Balkan youth bloom for brighter future of the region - Moderator: Mr Peter Grk, Slovenian national coordinator for the Western Balkans

Mr Muharem Bazdulj, Writer and journalist from Bosnia and Herzegovina, residing in Serbia

Mr Ardian Hackaj, Director Shtetiweb portal, Cooperation & Development Institute, Albania

Ms Zorica Stamenkovska, Macedonian Agency for Youth and Sports; representative of the Regional Youth Cooperation Office, Macedonia

Milan Petrović, President of Serbian Association of Managers (SAM), Serbia

Mr Janez Škulj, chairperson of the governing board of MOVIT – Institute for the development of youth mobility, Slovenia

12:50 – 13:00              Closing remarks by MEP Tanja Fajon and MEP Franc Bogovič

Participants are kindly asked to confirm theirparticipation by filling in the following Registration form prior to June 15:  http://goo.gl/forms/coFt0HZc5oRVSCr43. 

Source: eu-events.eu