Aspen Western Balkans Initiative: Engagement for Progress and Stability

The project “Aspen Western Balkans Initiative: Engagement for Progress and Stability” in 2025 is a continuation of the project in 2023 and 2024. It is scheduled to run from March 2025 to December 2025. The objectives of the project are to promote dialogue and cooperation in the region, develop concrete recommendations, and draw public attention to the enlargement and reform process. The project this year includes the organization of a high-level working group in Berlin and a conference on structural change in Albania. The structure and contents of the project in 2025 will build on the projects achievements in 2023 and 2024.

The project cycle in 2023 and 2024 included the organization of three conferences in the last two years. The first international conference took place in Montenegro in 2023 and focused on the intersection of democracy and digitalization. The second conference was organized in 2024, which has been held in Berlin and focused on the topic of European Union (EU) enlargement. In addition, a third conference took place in 2024 and was dedicated to reconciliation and took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Furthermore, a vision for the year 2043 for the region of the Western Balkans has been developed. For this purpose, a foresight process, and a strategic outlook, for the region took place at the beginning of the project under the title “Future of the Western Balkans in 2043” to develop long-term strategic approaches. In addition, two high-level working group meetings have been organized in Berlin, bringing together government representatives and experts from the Western Balkans, Germany, and the EU. Two meetings have been organized, one in 2023 and another in 2024, to recap the year. Each working group was accompanied by a public event where the results of the discussions were presented and discussed. The results of the discussions and possible recommendations for action were accompanied by social media activities of the Aspen Institute Germany and recorded in publications. The Aspen Institute Germany wishes to thank the German Federal Foreign Office for its sponsorship of the project.

Mildner, Stormy-Annika, Bories, Tina, Shapiro, Avi (eds.), Structural Change in the Western Balkans, Aspen Institute Germany, December 2025.
Mildner, Stormy-Annika, Bories, Tina, (eds), Reconciliation in the Western Balkans, Aspen Institute Germany, December 2024.
Mildner, Stormy-Annika, Bories, Tina, (eds), Digitalization and Democracy in the Western Balkans, Aspen Institute German, May 2024.
Mildner, Stormy-Annika, Bories, Tina, Kurtenacker, Kilian, Shapiro, Avi, Gordon-Forbes, Duncan (eds), Future of the Western Balkans 2043, Aspen Institute Germany, November 2023.