Cooperation and Development Institute with the support of Hanns Siedel Stiftung organized on 22 November, in Tirana, a Roundtable on “Berlin Process in 2022: Key Takeaways and Next Steps” aiming to discuss the main events that happened during the second semester of 2022 in the framework of the Berlin Process, as well as to assess how they impact the progress of WB6 towards full EU membership, discuss the role that the Berlin Process has in all that and hear about the CSO view of both Enlargement and Berlin Process.
The keynote speech was delivered by Mr. Klaus Fiesinger, the Regional Director of South-East Europe, Hanns Seidel Foundation pointing out that the Berlin process itself is not only a governmental approach by a whole society approach, so CSOs insolvent is a crucial element and Tirana Connectivity Forum is a very great example of this involvement.
The keynote address continues with Mr Peter Zingraf, German Ambassador to Albania, recognized the political will of the government of Germany on the continuation of the Berlin Process and the appointment of Mr Sarrazin, Special Representative for the WB is a clear expression of this support.
Furthermore, Ms Jorida Shytaj, Senior Political Advisor, Regional Cooperation Council emphasized the importance of such discussion and distinguished that regional ownership and all-inclusiveness of the process are the main key. Moreover, she pointed out that regional cooperation can make proper sense only if it is followed by early integration and EU single market policies.
Ms Valeska Esch as Senior Advisor to the Federal Government Special Representative for the Countries of the Western Balkans Mr Manuel Sarrazin, while expressing positively her support for the CSOs on behalf of the German government noted that regional ownership is important as well as for the region to produce good news as it is for the EU to deliver on their promises. Furthermore, she thanked CSOs across the region and obviously on the EU member states for the important input and encouraged them to keep pushing on the implementation.
Ms Odeta Barbullushi, the adviser of the Prime Minister of Albania, pointed out in her speech the importance of the three signed agreements and mentioned that the region should gradually integrate into the single market and implement more swiftly the full freedom of the single market.
The director of Südosteuropa-Gesellschaft and co-organizer of WB CSO & Think Tank summit in Berlin, Mr Christian Hagemann recommended that “We should keep connecting and pushing together for progress, together with the countries that are willing to support the enlargement process, the organisations that are willing and interested in pushing this forward. Also having a look at how to discuss with the countries that are sceptical at the moment and to address their concerns and we of course stand ready and continue this with you.”
Ms Jana Juzova from EUROPEUM, as an organizer of the CSO & TT Summit in Prague, highlighted during her intervention: “One of the most important messages and positive surprise was the region ownership and how Albania in this case and hopefully other countries in the future are standing up for themselves and taking the lead in the process, also the ambition for setting the agenda.
In his final remarks, Mr Ardian Hackaj, Director of Research at CDI mentioned that the Western Balkans should be moving from Enlargement fatigue to Cohesion energy.
Consult the main conclusions of this event in this Policy Paper.
