24 June 2020 (15:50-17:30)
The 2020 edition of the Balkan Barometer represents the next chapter in the steady evolution of the region’s foremost survey of public and business opinion. Launched as an attempt to measure impact of regional actions implemented under the South East Europe (SEE) 2020 Strategy, the Barometer is now firmly established as a reliable source of regional data widely employed and referenced by media, business, civil society and decision makers alike.
The event will serve to launch the Balkan Barometer 2020 survey and its findings, as well to take stock of the progress achieved by the Western Balkans economies in advancing the regional cooperation, European integration and transformation agenda.
The main aim of the event is to provide a platform for discussion on the topics covered with the report and to elaborate on the state of play of the rapidly changing regional landscape. The regular emergence of social and economic challenges and topics, whether global or local, has rarely been unaccompanied by regional waves and the Barometer has always recorded their effects on the SEE community. In particular, this event will provide an opportunity to discuss attitudes towards cooperation and integration, both at regional and EU levels, helping inform the work of policy makers and other interested regional stakeholders.
Agenda
| 15:30-15:50 | Registration to the webinar |
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| 15:50-16:00 | Presentation of the Balkan Barometer 2020 video |
The video is a snapshot of the BB 2020 edition, conducted in WB 6 during December 2019-January 2020. Key findings presented in the video capture the citizens and business perceptions on regional cooperation, European integration, brain drain, employment challenges, internet and digital literacy, challenges of vulnerable groups, trade trends, environment, rule of law, migration. |
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| 16:00 – 16:20 | Introductory remarks |
The introductory remarks of the Webinar will be given by Secretary General of RCC and guest speakers:
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| 16:20 – 17:20 | Panel discussion |
Are the Western Balkan businesses and citizens satisfied with the overall regional situation and how were they impacted by the Corona outbreak? Moderators:
Video of Covid-19 edition of Balkan Barometer - The video presents shortly the main findings of the Covid-19 edition of BB conducted during April-May 2020 Panelists:
Questions & Answers from virtual audience |
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| 17:20 – 17:30 | Wrap up of the Webinar |
( The moderator wrap up the webinar and highlights key messages) The Webinar will be livestream on Facebook and YouTube channels of the Regional Cooperation Council. Webinar will be organised on ZOOM platform. Technical instructions for the meeting will be send within June 22nd 2020. |
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Majlinda Bregu
Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC)
Majlinda Bregu is the Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) since 1 January 2019.
Bregu is an accomplished Albanian politician and a strong believer in the European
project. Before becoming the top official of the RCC, a regional cooperative framework for
Southeast European countries promoting Euro-Atlantic integration, Bregu served as a
Member of Parliament for three consecutive legislatures for the Centre Right (2005-2017). In
this role, she worked for an all-inclusive approach and far-reaching consensus on the
European perspective of Albania and the region. She has also served as Minister of European
Integration and as Government’s Spokesperson, where she helped promote the importance of
Albania’s membership perspective to the EU for the stability of the region. Additionally, she
has actively supported and contributed to the Western Balkans Civil Society Forum established under the Berlin Process.
Olivér Várhelyi
Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, DG NEAR
Since 2015 Mr Varhelyi has headed the Hungarian EU representation in Brussels. He started his professional career in 1995 in the Ministry for Industry and Trade only to switch in 1996 to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. As of 2006 he was Head of the European Union Law Department in the Ministry of Justice and from 2008 to 2011 he was Head of Unit responsible for Industrial Property Rights at the European Commission DG Internal Markets and Services.
H.E. Wolfgang Friedrich Ischinger
Chairman of Munich Security Conference
Ambassador Ischinger has been Chairman of the Munich Security Conference (MSC) since 2008. From 2006 to 2008, he was the Federal Republic of Germany's Ambassador in London and from 2001 to 2006 in Washington, D.C. He served as Deputy Foreign Minister (State Secretary) of Germany from 1998 to 2001, and as Political Director of the Foreign Ministry from 1995 to 1998. In 2007, he represented the European Union in the Troika negotiations on the future of Kosovo*.
H.E. Nikola Dimitrov
Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia
Nikola Dimitrov has been serving as Minister of Foreign Affairs for North Macedonia since 2017. He is a former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Macedonian Ambassador to the United States and then the Netherlands. Minister Dmitrov was a chief negotiator with Greece on name change agreement. In 2002 he was named the second Macedonian Ambassador to the United States. This made him the youngest diplomat in Washington, D.C. at the time
H.E Gent Cakaj
Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Albania
Before being appointed as a Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs in January 2019, Acting Minister Cakaj was an advisor to Prime Minister Rama on Foreign Policy and, specifically, for European Union affairs. Cakaj was educated in Kosovo, Belgium and Hungary, and holds two bachelors and three master's degrees in philosophy, political sciences, and law.
Ms. Genoveva RUIZ CALAVERA
Director for Western Balkans at the Directorate General for European Neighbourhood Policy & Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR)
In this capacity, she is responsible for managing bilateral relations between the EU and the Western Balkan partners, guiding and monitoring their progress towards the EU in the context of the Stabilisation and Association Process. She joined the European Commission in 1992 and during 1999-2000 she served in the European Commission Task force for the Reconstruction of Kosovo in Pristina. She was Deputy Head of Unit for Serbia and Montenegro in 2002 and Head of the Kosovo issues unit in 2006. In January 2009, she was appointed Head of Unit for “Crisis Response and Peace Building” in the Directorate-General for External Relations.
Mr. Marko Cadez
President of the Managing Board of the Western Balkan Chamber Investment Forum
Marko Čadež is President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia (CCIS), President of the Managing Board of the Western Balkan 6 Chamber Investment Forum, a Member of the Board of Eurochambres and Chair of Eurochambres’ Digitalisation Committee. He is an expert on Serbian-German relations and communications, and one of the founders and a Member of the Managing Board of the Serbia-Germany Forum. He was a Coordinator for Serbia and Montenegro of German Deutsche Welle, and Programme Coordinator and Advisor for Political Issues and Communications with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Belgrade.
