A follow-up event of the Western Balkans Summit Vienna 2015: Conference “Western Balkans: Energizing the Enlargement Process by Solving Bilateral Disputes” in Vienna, April 25-26, 2016

The Austrian Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of France, European Fund for the Balkans, Karl Renner Institute and Regional Cooperation Council are organising the follow-up event of the Western Balkans Summit Vienna 2015 - the conference “Western Balkans: Energizing the Enlargement Process by Solving Bilateral Disputes” on April 25-26, 2016 in Vienna, which build on the conclusions of the August 2015 Vienna Western Balkans Summit and the signing of the Declaration on Regional Cooperation and Solution of Bilateral Disputes. A public event and an panel discussion focused on the same subject will be held tomorrow (April 26) from 5 pm to 7 pm at the Austrian Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs. Unresolved bilateral disputes have proven to be serious obstacles for the governments of the Western Balkans on their path towards EU accession. One of the key successes of the Berlin Process and the Vienna Summit in August 2015 has been the signing of the Declaration on Regional Cooperation and Solution of Bilateral Disputes, which was a joint effort of the Balkans In Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG) and the Austrian Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs. The Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the Western Balkans countries signed it and committed themselves to not let the bilateral issues stand in the way of EU integration and to work on advancing the resolution of such issues. As first encouraging steps in that endeavor, were the two border agreements that were signed in the margins of the Vienna Summit. In the run up to the Vienna Summit border treaties were signed between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro and between Montenegro and Kosovo and a breakthrough was accomplished in talks between Belgrade and Prishtina. These achievements highlight the potential of the regional cooperation between the WB6 in the framework of the Berlin process to resolve open bilateral issues. In view of the upcoming Western Balkans Summit in Paris in July 2016, forty high level representatives from the Western Balkans and from other countries of the Berlin Process will now meet in Vienna on 25 and 26 April, to elaborate on the commitments of the Vienna summit and plan the next steps. The aim is to take stock and to examine the following issues: How can we translate political commitment into further action? What should a toolbox for the resolution of bilateral issues contain? How can the progress be measured? The conference and workshops will involve governments of the Western Balkans, the EU and EU member state governments and institutions following the format of the Berlin Process and involving key experts from international organizations, think tanks and academia on the issues. The public panel discussion will look into the results of the expert meetings. Additionally, the discussion will focus on the governments’ commitments to good neighborly relations and on the effects on their EU accession process. The whole event will result in the following outputs to be finalized by the Austrian Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs in cooperation with the Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG): a) a template for the country reports on progress made in addressing bilateral issues and b) a tool box on advancing bilateral relations in the spheres of borders and minority issues, based on best practices and international norms and mechanisms. Participate via twitter: #WesternBalkans and #BerlinProcess