Balkan Integration Forum Podgorica

Balkan Integration Forum gathered high-ranking politicians on national and local levels, representatives of the academic community and the civil society, as well as journalists and participants from all over Europe. The conference was opened by H.E. Peter Felten, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Montenegro, Kirsten Schoenefeld, FES Head of Office for Serbia and Montenegro and Momčilo Radulović, President of the European Movement in Montenegro.

Aside from offering numerous opportunities for exchanges and networking, the program featured four panel discussions “Faster and Smarter Cities for More Efficient Left – Connecting Ideas of Freedom?”, “Where do We Stand Now and What is the Road Ahead – an Overview of the EU Integration Process in the Western Balkans”, “Western Balkans and EU Enlargement – Reflections of the Russian Aggression on Ukraine” and “Positioning of the Western Balkans in Global Relations in the Light of Ukrainian Crisis”. The last panel discussion was also the high-level political discussion featuring inputs from H.E. Milo Đukanović, President of Montenegro, H.E. Željko Komšić, Member of Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina and H.E. Stevo Pendarovski, President of North Macedonia.

As evident from the list of topics, the conference covered a wide range of contemporary debates, from smart cities and their roles in achieving more security and freedom for the citizens, to the Russian aggression on Ukraine and the implications that it will certainly have in the rest of the region.

FES SOE remains strongly committed to advancing social and democratic values, which include supporting the path towards membership in the European Union for the Western Balkan countries.