Start
10/03/2021
End
10/03/2021
Faced with endemic corruption, a massive brain drain, and frustrated by the slow pace of EU accession talks, countries in the Western Balkans are increasingly looking to strengthen ties with alternative actors, among which China plays a prominent and leading role. Beijing has slowly become the most prominent third actor in Central and South-East Europe. The next decade will be crucial in determining the region’s future. As the Belt and Road Initiative (17+1) and China’s influence in Central and Eastern Europe face growing competition from both Washington and Brussels, the region’s development and its European aspirations will be subject to greater uncertainty. This complex geopolitical context presents policy and decision-makers with a set of key challenges over the future of this strategically important and geographically integral part of the European continent.
| Speaker: | Ralf Gjoni (Member of the Albanian Parliament, Vice Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Member of the European Integration Committee) |
| Discussant: | Medlir Mema (Associate Professor of International Relations, Tokyo International University) |
| Moderator: | Christopher Lamont (Associate Professor of International Relations, Tokyo International University) |
| Date & Time: | Wednesday March 10, 2021 at 19:00-20:00 |