15 October 2024, Podgorica, Montenegro

Organised by the European School of Transnational Governance and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Conference brought together high-level officials from Montenegro to discuss the Western Balkans in the EU’s next geopolitical cycle.

The event was organised in the context of the broader capacity-building project for Western Balkan diplomats that the EUI is implementing with the support of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. Through this project, around 50 regional public officials have been trained at the EUI in Florence on topics related to EU policymaking and diplomatic skills to support the region's EU accession and the EUI's widening initiative towards the Western Balkans.

The event was introduced by Maurizio CANFORA, Deputy Director General/Principal Director for European Integration, Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Marco del PANTA, Secretary General, European University Institute and Andreina MARSELLA, Ambassador of Italy to the Republic of Montenegro, while Filip IVANOVIĆ, Deputy Prime Minister for Foreign and European Affairs, Montenegro and Johann SATTLER, Ambassador of the European Union to Montenegro delivered keynote speeches.

Prominent professors, experts, and high-ranking officials discussed European security in light of global transformations, Proposals from the Western Balkans for the next EU political cycle, and The Future of EU Enlargement.

During Session “Proposals from the Western Balkans for the next EU political cycle”,  Director HANDJISKA-TRENDAFILOVA underlined the importance of boosting and improving convergence and cohesion with the European Administrative Space through convergence with EU Norms, progressive integration, strengthening the rule of law mechanism,  capacity building in public institutions, digital transformation, integration and inclusion in the EU decision and law-making processes and pre-accession assistance and ReSPA’s role in supporting the Western Balkans over the years in this aim.

Special focus HANDJISKA-TRENDAFILOVA put on the importance of capacity building in public institutions, underlining, “We at ReSPA advocate for more robust EU-backed programs that strengthen the institutional capacity of public administrations in the Western Balkans to deliver high-quality services to citizens, including better cross-border cooperation on shared issues, such as migration, climate, artificial intelligence, internal market, and digital transformation”.