Opatija – ESI debating new strategies for the Balkans

BiEPAG Brainstorming Opatija. Photo: EFB

From 16 to 18 September 2016 ESI's Deputy Chairman Kristof Bender participated in a brainstorming meeting on new strategies for the Balkans. It was organised by the Balkan in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG), a policy group put together by the European Fund for the Balkans, and took place in Opatija, Croatia. 

Kristof contributed some ideas on the future of EU enlargment. Other participants included Florian Bieber of the University of Graz, Milica Delevic from the EBRD, Nikola Dimitrov of The Hague Institute for Global Justice, Stefan Lehne of Carnegie Europe, Antonio Missiroli of the EU-ISS, Ivan Vejvodaof the German Marshall Fund of the United States and former Director in DG Enlargement of the EC Pierre Mirel.

Based on the discussions BiEPAG published a policy brief on EU enlargement in the Western Balkans in a Time of Uncertainty.

Opatia's Hotel Ambassador, a "functionalist provocation" in the heart of historicistic Opatija built in 1968 according to plans by architect Zdravko Bregovac. Foto: ESI/Kristof Bender