Regional Security in the context of European Integration

 

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The region of Western Balkans has endured a complex past of conflicts and mistrust between ethnicities and state structures. Various international stakeholders have been involved through various missions and programmes to try to pacify and bring lasting stability to the region.

The promise of European perspective as well as various instruments of assistance has helped to create some of the root socio-economic and ethnic causes of conflicts and lack of regional cooperation. While a number of Western Balkans countries are at varying levels of contractual relations with the EU and have managed to strengthen the security structures, Kosovo, Macedonia and Albania have struggled in the path for various political, social and economic reasons. The issue of security sector reform in Albania, Macedonia and Kosovo has involved a number of international actors. There are two essential streams of external influences in reforming the pillars of security apparatus namely (a) NATO membership and conditionality and (b) EU stabilization and Association Process (SAP) and Visa liberalization process.

Therefore, the project "Regional Security in the context of European Integration" was launched in order to examine the challenges of Europeanization of the security sector in Macedonia, Albania and Kosovo. Leading partner of the project is the Kosovar Center for Security Studies from Pristine and Analytica is project partner, along with the Institute for Democracy and Mediation from Tirana.

The main objectives of this project are:

a. To further strengthen the cooperation and confidence-building framework in the field of security between Kosovo, Macedonia and Albania;

b. To open new channels of communication and dialogue between security officials, policy-makers and civil society;

c. To substantiate and promote a more inclusive approach in security sector;

d. To explore the challenges and propose steps of addressing security challenges in the context of EU integration.

The project is supported by the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung and will be implemented until the end of November, 2013.

For more information on the project, please contact Magdalena Lembovska at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.


Conference: Progress in the Europeanization of the Security Sector in Albania, Kosovo and Macedonia

File-pdf-32Progress in the Europeanization of the security sector in Albania, Kosovo and Macedonia

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