Speaking to the political climate found both in the Western Balkans and across Europe, Nejra Cekic, Advisor in the Cabinet of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, noted the importance of ongoing discussion:
“If you want to make a real difference in the region’s future,” Cekic asserted, “You have to stay engaged in conversations like this, that open up new ways of thinking and help build the skills and networks that are crucial when working on complex issues like EU accession”.
Her words capture the spirit of the high-level policy dialogue Western Balkans in a New Geopolitical Environment: Strategic and Policy Options, held on 15 October 2025 in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Organised by the Florence School of Transnational Governance of the European University Institute (EUI), with the support of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the event gathered nine high-level civil servants from across the Western Balkans and senior European and international policymakers.
The discussion took place against the backdrop of profound geopolitical shifts: a new political cycle in the European Union, the re-election of Donald Trump as US President, and the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza. These developments have reshaped the EU’s priorities on defence, enlargement, and foreign policy, underscoring the growing strategic role of the Western Balkans in Europe’s stability and global engagement.
After Ohrid (2023) and Podgorica (2024), the Sarajevo dialogue was opened by Elmedin Konaković, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and featured three sessions exploring the influence of global powers, the EU’s strategic role, and the contributions of the Western Balkans to the EU’s global presence.
“The debate between the participants from the six countries was very productive and took place in a constructive spirit and without any clash among countries representatives, which rarely happens in such formats”, stated Visar Fetaj, Senior Officer for EU Enlargement Policies at Kosovo’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “the panellists invited by the EUI have served perfectly the topic of Western Balkans in a new geopolitical environment”. With contributions from Philip Reeker, former Acting Assistant Secretary at the US Department of State, Helene-Holm Pedersen, Director for External Relations, Enlargement and Europe at the Council of the European Union, Miroslav Lajcak, former EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue and other Western Balkan regional issues, and Jelena Dzankic, Part-time Professor at the Robert Schuman Centre of the EUI, the dialogue can be seen as an advancement of regional cooperation, pushing the Western Balkan countries closer to integration, according to Fetaj.
Praising the open and constructive nature of the discussions, Armand Skapi, Secretary General of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs of Albania, noted that “the open debates and sharing of ideas were very useful for us in better understanding each country’s concerns and positions.”
All in all, the Sarajevo event marked another milestone in the EUI’s growing cooperation with the Western Balkans, following previous high-level policy dialogues in the region.
Learn more about the tailor-made programmes for diplomats and policymakers from the Western Balkans and beyond organised by Florence School of Transnational Governance hosts.