Institute for International Relations

Project Partners

• European Movement in Serbia, Belgrade (Coordinator)
• Institute for International Relations (IMO), Zagreb
• European Movement in Montenegro, Podgorica
• Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo
• Kosovo Institute for Policy Research and Development (KIPRED), Prishtina
• Center for Institutional Development (CIR), Skopje
• Albanian Institute for International Studies, Tirana

Timeframe

The project is jointly and simultaneously implemented in 12 months from January to December 2007 in seven Western Balkan countries/entities: Serbia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Albania and Macedonia.

Donors

• The Balkan Trust for Democracy (BTD)
• Open Society Serbia – East East: Prtnership Beyond Borders Program
• Other eventual sources

Summary

The project aims to promote the role of regional cooperation in South Eastern Europe as important instrument for faster European integration, sustainable development and poverty reduction. The project activities will promote cooperation and coordination of reform and integration efforts across the region. The partners will jointly develop a brochure containing the information about all existing and planned regional projects in different areas. The brochure will be available in all regional languages, plus in English and jointly promoted in the region. Info days will be organized in the capital cities and selected regional centers, where the results will be presented especially to business, academia, local governments and NGO's. The project should facilitate a smoother rapprochement/integration process for the whole region, particularly in the context of the Thessaloniki Summit recommendations and the Stabilization and Association Process. The results and impact of the project shall later be presented not only to the public in encompassed countries but also to European Union and other international officials.

Goals

• To promote the role of regional cooperation in South Eastern Europe as important instrument aimed to support faster European integration, sustainable development and poverty reduction;
• To promote cooperation and coordination of reform and integration efforts across the region.

Objectives

• To raise awareness on the importance and potentials of regional projects for economic development and poverty reduction;
• To systematize information and present existing regional projects and initiatives, particularly in the fields of trade, infrastructure, energy, SMEs, ICT, education and research and environment;
• To raise interest and mobilize professional capacity of university centers to actively contribute to the successful implementation of core regional projects; and
• To promote integrated cross-sectorial and cross-initiatives approach in regional cooperation.

Activities

• Three meeting of the project partners (in Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia);
• Development of a brochure containing the information about all existing and planned regional projects in different areas;
• Organization of Info days (round tables) in the capital cities and selected regional centers.

IMO Contact Persons

Višnja Samardžija, IMO Coordinator
Hrvoje Butković, Project Associate