- December 11, 2024
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- December 11, 2024
On December 11, the Civil Society and Think Tank Forum 2024, co-organized by the Southeast Europe Association and the Aspen Institute Germany, convened an online public discussion between the authors of three stocktaking studies on the 10th anniversary of the Berlin Process. Ten years ago, in 2014, the Berlin Process was launched as a platform for fostering cooperation between the Western Balkans, the EU, and the host countries of the Berlin Process. On this anniversary, it was important to reflect on the achievements to date and to consider the steps needed to support and accelerate cooperation and integration in the Western Balkans. During the event, the panel of authors discussed three studies which took stock of the Berlin Process 10thanniversary. First, the Civil Society and Think Tank Forum 2024 sponsored a comprehensive study to map the initiatives and outputs of the Berlin Process, which was represented on the panel by Dr. Marika Djolai and Dr. Silvana Mojsovska. The study was previously handed to leaders including Chancellor Olaf Scholz and President Ursula von der Leyen at the Berlin Process Summit. Second, the Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation’s recent report, represented on the panel by Marie Jelanka Kirchner, underlined the ongoing challenges surrounding gender equality in the region and the importance of bringing these issues into the Berlin Process, which was highlighted this year at the first-ever Berlin Process Gender Equality Forum. Third, the latest analysis by Berlin Economics on economic development in the Western Balkans, represented on the panel by Marie-Aimée Salopiata, examined key factors which have been influenced by the Berlin Process over the past decade and was a basis for this year’s Berlin Process Economy Ministerial and Business Forum. The following questions guided the discussion: What are the major milestones and successes of the Berlin Process? How has the Berlin Process evolved in the past decade? What challenges does the Berlin Process face, and how could they be addressed? What role could the Berlin Process play in the next few years? The Civil Society and Think Tank Forum 2024 is supported by the German Federal Foreign Office.
