This paper follows an e-consultation as well as the debates of a dedicated forum. It is built on the existing legal and institutional context of both countries – Albania and Kosovo – and is viewed from the perspective of bilateral and regional initiatives. Although they are at different stages in advancing relations with the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the process of integration into the European Union, specific aspects of the legal framework of the latter two have been widely appreciated.

The topics that attracted the attention of the contributors can be divided as follows:
• Analysis and commentary on the evolution and profile of trade relations between Kosovo and Albania.
• Analysis on economic complementarity between the two countries, and on the sectors and actors most relevant in terms of exchanges between them form the second group of contributions.
• Better application of existing administrative and legislative measures and optimal use of the current regulatory and legislative framework is one of the most important conclusions of this discussion.

The very important role of history and politics in both countries and their shared future in the European Union concludes the set of major topics addressed in this forum.

This publication is available in Albanian language only.

Tags: Economy, Governance, Regional Cooperation

This paper was prepared by the group of authors – Svetlana Cenic, Ardian Hackaj, Amer Kapetanovic, Maria Eleni Koppa, Gazmend Qorraj, Dusan Spasojevic, Dragan Tevdovski and Daliborka Uljarevic and has been supported by Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung.

In November 2014 the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung initiated a process to develop policy recommendations for a positive change of the political and economic situation in the Western Balkans. Representatives of academia, civil society and politics from the Western Balkans were invited, along with political experts on European integration from Germany and Brussels, to discuss core challenges and necessary reform policies. The public debate on the EU integration of the Western Balkans and a two-day workshop in November 2014 and March 2015 in Berlin resulted in the formulation of four core theses that point to the deficits of current policy approaches and suggest alternatives to policy-makers at the national and European levels.

Tags: European Union, Regional Cooperation, Society, Western Balkans

This Factsheet has been produced as part of the research within the Think and Link Regional Policy Programme project titled “Enhancing Regional Youth Connectivity” leaded by Cooperation and Development Institute (Albania) in partnership with European Movement in Montenegro (Montenegro) and European Movement Novi Sad (Serbia), supported by the European Fund for the Balkans. The data of this Factsheet has been provided through a survey carried out in April 2016, where 193 youth organizations based in three Countries, Albania, Montenegro and Serbia participated.

Tags: Regional Cooperation, Western Balkans, Youth

This policy paper has been produced as part of the research within the Think and Link Regional Policy Programme project titled “Enhancing Regional Youth Connectivity” lead by Cooperation and Development Institute (Albania) in partnership with European Movement in Montenegro (Montenegro) and European Movement Novi Sad (Serbia), supported by the European Fund for the Balkans.

The methodology of this paper is based on a mix-methods approach, which aimed to define the profile of a “classical youth organization”, identify the “population of youth organizations” in the country, contact & engage with them, collect, generate (where applicable), and analyze the data and evidence. The applied methodology was the same in the three partner countries, i.e. Albania, Montenegro and Serbia. Due to their specificity, no young movement from any political party in any of the three countries was included in the sample.

The paper highlighted the pressing need to create and update the register of youth organizations, especially in Albania and Montenegro. This will allow for an exhaustive overview of the youth actors and will create the basis for an informed policy making process adapted to the needs of the YOs. This registering exercise should be completed and enriched permanently with research on the ever-evolving profile and contextual conditions of YOs.

Tags: Regional Cooperation, Western Balkans, Youth

In the framework of the Berlin Process (BP) Summit that took place in Vienna in August 2015, the governments of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia officially agreed1 upon the initiative of the Prime Ministers of Serbia and Albania, to establish a Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO) of the Western Balkans. They were supported from the German-French Youth Office in setting it up. With the aim to “promote the spirit of reconciliation and cooperation between the youth in the region” through exchange, RYCO Office was officially established on December 8, 2016 in Tirana.

The Policy Brief “Let’s know Regional Youth Cooperation Office” is supported by the Albanian Agency for Support of Civil Society and aims to be a helpful tool for youth organizations, youngsters and other interested parties, who wish to be better informed on the most tangible outcome of the Berlin Process on youth cooperation, i.e. RYCO. Up to now, RYCO is most innovative contribution to youth cooperation in the Western Balkan region.

The Policy Brief aims to provide an insight to the context and process of RYCO establishment. An historical overview on the youth positive agenda and on the first Albanian-Serbian youth exchanges will also be shortly analysed. The Brief is enriched with the personal views of 10 young participants of regional exchange activities that took place in the framework of the Memorandum of Understanding on Youth between the Republic of Serbia and Republic of Albania. These interviews provide an interesting point of view on youth cooperation from the youngster’s perspective.

The final section provides update on where RYCO stands now and what it will support. Two interviews, with the Albanian National Youth Service and with the Special Commissioner of the Franco – German Youth Office for South – Eastern Europe, enrich this Policy Brief and provide valuable considerations about what RYCO should achieve.

Tags: Berlin Process, European Union, Regional Cooperation, Western Balkans, Youth

Is connectivity between the Black Sea and the Adriatic coast viable? Is there an economic rationale for enhanced connectedness stretching from Varna and Burgas in Bulgaria over Plovdiv-Sofia-Skopje-Tirana to Durrës in Albania and Bari in Italy?

At first glance, economic rationale is discussable since economic exchange between Albania, Bulgaria and the Republic of North Macedonia remains relatively modest. However, enhancing connectivity can foster economic relations not only between these countries but also serve as a boost for intensifying economic relations that go beyond the boundaries of the three states and eventually can bring benefits to stakeholders in Italy, Kosovo, Montenegro, Romania and Turkey.

There is an economic rationale behind the possible benefits for each and every one of them. For instance, Italy has been among the three biggest trade partners of Bulgaria for years – in 2019 alone, in the year before the pandemic, bilateral trade reached EUR 4.7bn. Therefore, one can assume that the availability of easier and faster connections will further positively impact bilateral trade. Improved connectivity will offer an easier access to companies from Romania to the Western Balkan countries as well.

To demonstrate that potential, it comes as no surprise that in 2019 Romania was the second biggest trade partner of Bulgaria with a total trade volume of EUR 5bn after Germany (EUR 8.5bn). Besides, Corridor VIII might provide Turkey, as a major regional economic powerhouse, whose trade volumes only with Bulgaria reached EUR 4.4bn in 2019, with an alternative route. Last but not least, Corridor VIII will increase directly or indirectly regional connectedness of Montenegro and Kosovo.

This Policy Paper was prepared in the framework of the online event “Corridor 8 – East Gate: Promoting Flagship 1 “Connecting East to West” organized by Cooperation Development Institute in partnership with Economic Policy Institute in Sofia and supported by Hanns Seidel Stiftung.

Tags: Connectivity, Corridor VIII , Regional Cooperation