High-Level Western Balkans Working Group

The Aspen Institute Germany hosted its annual Western Balkans Working Group on June 4-5, 2025, in Berlin to kick off its Western Balkans Program 2025. The goal of this working group was to develop concrete policy recommendations in preparation for the Western Balkans Conference on “Structural Change” in Albania this October. In addition, the group assessed the current geopolitical impact on the Western Balkans and the EU enlargement process. The working group sought to identify the next steps for decision makers in the Western Balkans, Germany, and the EU, and to generate actionable policy recommendations. Comprising high-level government representatives from the Western Balkans, selected experts, as well as officials from the EU, the German government, and the Bundestag, the group consisted of around 20 participants. The aim was to facilitate an off-the-record, in-depth discussion on the current state of EU integration. This event was part of the “Western Balkans Initiative: Engagement for Progress and Stability” project, kindly supported by the German Federal Foreign Office.