As part of the Berlin Process, the Southeast Europe Association and the Aspen Institute Germany participated as knowledge partners in the Civil Society and Think Tank Forum 2025 in Podgorica.
The CSF, established as an integral part of the Berlin Process in 2015, provides a key platform for civil society representatives and experts to exchange ideas and develop concrete recommendations for decision-makers to advance cooperation and integration in the Western Balkans. This year, the Forum was organized by the British Council with generous support from the UK Government. Aspen Germany is particularly grateful to the colleagues of the British Council for their fantastic collaboration, which ensured a seamless continuation of the Forum’s process this year.
The Forum was divided into two parts: In-Country Meetings, held in the capitals of the Western Balkans in July 2025, where cross-thematic working groups discussed and drafted policy recommendations; and the Civil Society Forum on 22-23 September 2025 in Podgorica, where inputs from civil society were discussed in panels with stakeholders from the Western Balkans and Europe. Policy recommendations were developed across six thematic areas: Common Regional Market and Growth; Gender and Diversity; Reconciliation and Dealing with the Past; Environment, Energy and Decarbonization; Security; and Good Governance.
To learn more about this year’s outcomes and recommendations, please visit the current website: https://www.wb-csf.eu
The CSF 2025 built upon the strong foundations and achievements of the Civil Society & Think Tank Forum 2024, organized jointly by the Aspen Institute Germany and the Southeast Europe Association, with generous support from the German Federal Foreign Office. The forum concluded with the Multi-Stakeholder Evaluation Dialogue in Berlin, marking the official handover of the Civil Society Forum to this year’s hosts, the British Council. Aspen Germany was delighted to continue contributing as knowledge partners, supporting the Forum’s ongoing impact.
