The REUNIR Horizon Europe project, together with the International Centre for Defence and Security (ICDS), is pleased to invite you to a two-part event dedicated to the future of EU enlargement and the geopolitical dynamics shaping the Western Balkans.
- Wednesday, 10 December 2025
- 10:00–14:30 EET (a light lunch will be provided between sessions)
- ICDS Seminar Hall, Narva Rd 63/4 (East Building), Tallinn
Please confirm your participation by Monday, 8 December 2025, at 12:00 on the following link: Registration
REUNIR High-Level Lecture
Panel Discussion: “Challenges and Prospects for the Western Balkans on Their Path Towards the EU in a Geopolitically Changing World”
Time: 10:30–12:00 (EET)
In its latest report on EU enlargement, the Commission gives the candidate countries mixed reviews. While Albania and Montenegro are on a good track, the process for Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, and Serbia has been stagnant due to a lack of reforms. Furthermore, Kosovo, as a potential candidate country, sees its greatest threat from Serbia. This panel discussion will examine the geopolitical forces, malign interferences, and regional dynamics in the Western Balkans, (political) issues that appear to be caught in stagnation, as well as the enlargement processes and the perceptions of it in EU member states.
Moderator:
- Steven Blockmans, Senior Fellow at the International Centre for Defence and Security (ICDS) and the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS); Coordinator of the REUNIR Horizon Europe project.
Keynote Speaker:
- Dr Damir Kapidžić, Professor of Comparative Politics, Faculty of Political Science, University of Sarajevo
Commentators:
- Tuuli Pärnsalu, Head of the Division for South-Eastern Europe and EU General Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia
- Dr Eiki Berg, Professor of International Relations Theory, Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies, University of Tartu
The panel discussion is organised in the REUNIR (Resilience, Enlargement, Union, Neighbourhood, International Relations) project framework. REUNIR is funded by the European Union under its Horizon Europe programme (project ID No. 101132446). The consortium consists of 12 partners from across Europe, including ICDS, and examines how the EU can strengthen its foreign and security toolboxes to bolster the resilience and transformation of (potential) candidate countries in a new age of international relations. Views and opinions expressed at its events are those of the speakers only and do not necessarily reflect those of the EU or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
Report Presentation & Public Discussion
“From Stalemate to Solution: Rethinking EU Approaches to Bilateral Disputes in the Context of Enlargement”
Time: 13:00–14:30 (EET)
In its latest report on EU enlargement, the Commission gives the candidate countries mixed reviews. While Albania and Montenegro are on a good track, the process for Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, and Serbia has been stagnant due to a lack of reforms. Furthermore, Kosovo, as a potential candidate country, sees its greatest threat from Serbia. This panel discussion will examine the geopolitical forces, malign interferences, and regional dynamics in the Western Balkans, (political) issues that appear to be caught in stagnation, as well as the enlargement processes and the perceptions of it in EU member states.
Moderator:
- Helga Kalm, Deputy Director and Head of the Foreign Policy Programme, International Centre for Defence and Security (ICDS)
Keynote Speaker:
- Steven Blockmans, Senior Fellow at the International Centre for Defence and Security (ICDS) and the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS); Coordinator of the REUNIR Horizon Europe project, co-author of the report.
Commentators:
- H.E. Mr Volodymyr Boiechko, Ambassador of Ukraine in Estonia
- Tuuli Pärnsalu, Head of the Division for South-Eastern Europe and EU General Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia
For any questions, please contact the ICDS Events Team at: [email protected]
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