Solidarity in Action is organized in collaboration with the Aspen Strategy Group, the Aspen Institute Romania, and the Aspen Institute Italia.
At a time when competing geopolitical interests and growing tensions are straining long-standing transatlantic cooperation in the Western Balkans, Solidarity in Action offers a dedicated platform for open dialogue and collaborative problem-solving.
The 2025 edition of the project convenes a unique network of twenty emerging civil society leaders from the United States, the Western Balkans, Germany, Italy, and Romania. Through a series of virtual exchanges and a five-day meeting in Tirana, Albania, participants engaged in in-depth discussions on strategies to strengthen transatlantic cooperation and advance peace, stability and democracy in the Western Balkans. These exchanges formed the foundation for the joint development of a set of policy recommendations targeted at decision-makers on both sides of the Atlantic.
This project is funded by the Global Fund of the Aspen International Partners.
Introducing the Participants of the 2025 Solidarity in Action Cohort
Study Trip to Tirana
From October 29 to November 2, 2025, participants in the project met in Tirana, Albania. Along with a series of workshops focused on developing policy recommendations, in-depth exchanges with decision-makers, experts and key stakeholders provided deeper insight into regional and transatlantic dynamics, enabling the cohort to develop informed, actionable strategies for a more resilient Western Balkans.
The Aspen Institute Germany thanks all speakers who graciously shared their insights: Kreshnik Loka, Deputy Secretary General, Regional Youth Cooperation Office, Klark Radoniqi, Director of the Directory of Youth Programs, Coordination and Cooperation, Adriatik Hasantari, Director, Roma Active Albania, Professor Odeta Barbullushi, College of Europe Tirana, Department of European Transformation and Integration Studies, Bora Muzhaqi, Member of Parliament, Vice Chair, Parliamentary Commission for Europe & Foreign Affairs, Former Minister of State for Youth & Children, Valbona Zeneli, Nonresident Senior Fellow at Europe Center and at the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security of the Atlantic Council of the United States, Thilo Schroeter, Chargé d’affaires a.i., German Embassy in Tirana, Ambassador Michel Tarran, Head of the OSCE Presence in Albania, Jorida Tabaku, Member of the Parliament of Albania, Klodiana Kapo, Director, Faktoje, Kristina Voko, Executive Director, Balkan Investigative Reporting Network Albania, and Mimi Kodheli, Member of the Albanian Parliament, Former Minister of Defence.
Publication: Policy Recommendations for the Transatlantic and Regional Level
