The Department of Political Science and International Relations of the University of the Peloponnese in cooperation with ELIAMEP (https://www.eliamep.gr/) and BiEPAG (https://biepag.eu/) co-organised an event on the impact of non-Western countries such as Russia, China, Turkey, United Arab Emirates on the Western Balkans.

The issue of the event consisted of the question if the active intervention of the above states prevents this region from its accession to the European Union. The study presented during the event and the proposals made concerned the policies that EU should follow in order to restrict the negative impact made by the action of these states on the accession process of the Western Balkans.

The event took place in the European Parliament Information Office in Athens, on Tuesday 2 July 2019 and was attended by accredited diplomats, journalists and international relations specialists.

Agenda

Welcoming remarks

Aleksandra Tomanić, Executive Director, European Fund for the Balkans
Presentation of the Book "The Western Balkans in the World. Linkages and Relations with Non-Western Countries"

Florian Bieber, Professor, Centre for the Southeast European Studies, University of Graz
Presentation of the Policy Brief “The Western Balkans as a Geopolitical Chessboard? Myths, Realities and Policy Options”

Nikolaos Tzifakis, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science and International Relations, University of the Peloponnese

Panel: The Role of External Actors in the Western Balkans

Chair:   Ioannis Armakolas, Assistant Professor, Department of Balkan, Slavic and Oriental Studies, University of Macedonia and Senior Research Fellow, ELIAMEP

Russia  Dušan Reljić, Head of Brussels Office, Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP)

China Plamen Tonchev, Senior Research Fellow, Institute of International Economic Relations, Athens

Turkey Antonis Klapsis, Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science and International Relations, University of the Peloponnese

Discussant: Srđan Majstorović, Chairman of Governing Board, European Policy Centre (CEP), Belgrade

For further information, please visit the following links:

Policy brief:

https://biepag.eu/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/The_Western_Balkans_as_a_Geopolitical_Chessboard.pdf.

Book:

https://www.routledge.com/The-Western-Balkans-in-the-World-Linkages-and-Relations-with-Non-Western/Bieber-Tzifakis/p/book/9780367197995.

Click the link https://www.blod.gr/lectures/a-new-geopolitical-game-in-the-western-balkans/ to watch the full video of the event.