Young professionals from North Macedonia, Albania and Montenegro have come together for the Regional Youth Forum “EUth Negotiators of the Future”, creating a space to deepen their understanding of the EU accession process while experiencing first-hand the importance of regional cooperation, dialogue and negotiation.

Held on 2–3 October 2026, the Forum combines expert-led discussions with an interactive negotiation simulation, enabling participants to move beyond theory and explore how EU accession negotiations work in practice.

The first day opened discussions on the role of regional cooperation in the path towards EU membership, followed by sessions examining the wider EU enlargement perspective and the practical functioning of accession negotiations, including negotiation structures, institutional coordination and the chapters and clusters framework.

Representing ReSPA, Jelisaveta Tasev, Programme Manager, introduced participants to the importance of regional cooperation in the EU accession process, highlighting that closer cooperation among administrations and future generations of public servants can help countries learn from one another and address common challenges more effectively.

“The EU accession process is national in responsibility, but many of the challenges administrations face are shared across the region. Creating opportunities for young professionals to meet, exchange perspectives, and understand each other’s experiences helps build the networks and trust needed throughout the accession process and beyond. ReSPA strongly believes in this type of regional cooperation, and we are committed to continuing along this path — bringing people and administrations together, supporting peer learning and creating more opportunities for future generations of public servants to learn with and from one another,” said Tasev.

A central part of the Forum is a negotiation simulation, in which participants work in three country delegations and a youth-led EU Panel. The country teams develop negotiating positions, while the EU Panel prepares its assessment approach and questions, with experts, partners and ReSPA supporting participants throughout the process.

On the second day, delegations from North Macedonia, Albania and Montenegro present and discuss their respective positions with the EU Panel, testing their ability to formulate arguments, respond to questions, consider adjustments and navigate the dynamics of a negotiation process.

Importantly, the exercise does not end with individual country positions. Participants work together to identify common points and proposals that can form the basis of draft regional recommendations, reinforcing the message that cooperation and mutual learning can complement and strengthen national efforts towards EU membership.

For ReSPA, initiatives such as the “EUth Negotiators of the Future” Forum are also an investment in the next generation of professionals who will contribute to European integration and public administration reform across the region. By combining practical learning with regional exchange, such initiatives help participants develop not only knowledge of EU processes, but also skills in dialogue, coordination, negotiation and cooperation.

ReSPA remains committed to supporting opportunities that connect professionals across the Western Balkans, strengthen regional networks and transform shared experience into stronger institutional capacities on the path towards the European Union.