News archive - About the current state and the future of the Berlin Process: an Interview by European Western Balkans
The portal European Western Balkans published an interesting interview with the organisers of this year’s Civil Society Forum, Valeska Esch, Deputy Executive Director and Program Director Europe at the Aspen Institute Germany and Hansjörg Brey, Executive Director of the Southeast Europe Association. The focua was on the current state and the future of the Berlin Process, as well as the role of the civil society within it.
The interview underlines how the most important contribution of the Berlin Process was putting regional cooperation at the center of the agenda and how all of the reached agreements will go a long way to improve the living conditions for people in the region if they are implemented with priority and if governments across the region.
As to the future of the Forum, it is stressed that the Berlin Process also provides opportunities for the aftermath of the pandemic such as the idea of a greener recovery, strengthening economic recovery based on increased regional cooperation, and possible opportunities of near-shoring of European business to the Western Balkans. But all of this also requires governments to make use of these opportunities. Progress will not come from summit declarations and commitments but from their implementation.
- EC
- Western Balkans
- General
Entry created by Admin WBC-RTI.info on July 17, 2021
Modified on August 2, 2021
