International Conference in the run up to the Italian Summit on the Western Balkans

[themify_quote] International Conference in the run up to the Italian Summit on the Western Balkans in cooperation with Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Centre International de Formation Europèènne- IAI  International Affairs Institute-CFA -OFZ [/themify_quote]

Rome, 5 April 2017

Background and Objectives

In 2014, in the wake of the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War, the Federal Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel, initiated an intergovernmental process with the countries of the Western Balkans. Its aim is to improve their cooperation, put fundamentals first, and thereby reinvigorate their European integration. The first Summit in Berlin was followed by a second in Vienna in 2015 and a third in Paris in 2016. a fourth Summit will be convened by Italy in 2017, before the process is expected the end one year later, in 2018, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the end of WW1.

In order to encourage a European dialogue amongst citizens on the enlargement process, a Civil Society Forum was launched in 2015 during the Vienna Summit and a second was then held in parallel to the Paris Summit in 2016.At the same time, IFRI, CIFE and CFA, together with several other institutions, launched an initiative amongst think tanks and academic institutions on the Western Balkans and their European perspective in 2015, which culminated in the organisation of  a “reflection-forum” on the Western Balkans in May 2016 in Paris. Both initiatives provided a valuable platform for civil society and experts from all over Europe (EU and Western Balkans) and were followed by a series of outreach events and forums in all Western Balkan countries in order to share ideas on the Berlin Process.

In the run up the Italian Summit on the Western Balkans scheduled to take place in Trieste on 12 July 2017, the International Conference will bring together a number of European experts to reflect on the challenges facing the EU and its enlargement towards the Western Balkans. The meeting will kick off a series of events such as a Second Reflection Forum and a Civil Society Forum, which will be both hosted in Trieste in May and July 2017 respectively.

INTEGRATION-DIFFERENTIATION AND FUTURE OF EUROPE

The past few years have witnessed an odd mix of integration, differentiation and disintegration in the EU.- integrationist progress, however incomplete, has been made on economic matters (e.g. the banking union) border management (e.g. the European border and coast guard agency) and foreign policy (the EU Global Strategy and its Implementation). At the same time, the risk of disintegration looms large, with Brexit being the most notable case in point. Differentiated integration is partly a reality, yet one which is rarely discussed openly. What will the UNION which the Western Balkans strive to join look like? This is at the top of research Austro-French Centre for Rapprochement in Europe (CFA), European Policy Institute former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Society European Policy Institute Belgium, Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik Germany, Institute for Human Sciences, Austria and IAI Istituto Affari Internazionali Italia.

We must work together for PEACE, American President Donald Trump works for war.

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Rosa Dalmiglio was born in Garlasco, Italy.

She is a member of the China Council Disabled People’s Performing Art Troupe (special art, culture and humanity), which touches the hearts of all people and portrays the strong willpower so encouraging to 60 million Chinese disabled persons.

Ms. Dalmiglio is Intermediary Agent of CICE, Centre International Cultural Exchange, a direct subsidiary of the Ministry of Culture, People’s Republic of China. CICE is a comprehensive institution engaged in cultural exchange programs, professional publication and presentation of cultural art works such as exhibits, receiving foreign art troupes and artists, holding international cultural research programs, and producing intercultural and interreligious documentary films.

She is a member of China Disabled Person’s Federation, CDPF. She is also a member of the International Women Federation, which is concerned with the financial ethics of women s enterprises in underdeveloped areas. 

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