The Balkans in Europe’s future

From the international workshop organized by Aspen Institute Italia at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs emerged a proposal to draw up a “road map for the Balkans”. Participants met before an ample audience to discuss the “The Balkans in Europe’s future” and to consider strategies to help integrate southeastern Europe into the EU and other international organizations. The Balkans are relatively stable, military conflict has ceased, ethnic cleansing is a thing of the past, and free elections have been held. However, it is not possible to simply maintain the status quo: the economy is stagnant, corruption widespread, and political discourse full of allusions to past misdeeds. The Commission has therefore asked the region’s leaders, as well as European leaders, to launch courageous initiatives aimed at clearing the air. Participants at the workshop called for an international conference on the subject in 2006.