Western Balkans’ cooperation with China - European and International Cooperation
- The Western Balkans region is of geostrategic importance. Some of the countries are already official EUcandidate countries and / or NATO members. However, the slowed pace of EU enlargement is causing many societies to stagnate or the elites to open up to other geopolitical and economic policy options.
- China has significantly intensified its involvement in the region and wants to integrate the region into its Silk Road initiative. The long-term Chinese strategy is not only aimed at expanding its economic strength, but also at promoting its value model in contrast to the West.
- China benefits from the fact that many of the countries are very open to supposedly unconditional investments in their own infrastructure or that there are political systems in which lack of transparency and susceptibility to corruption unfortunately play a major role.
- For the European Union, this means stepping up its efforts to integrate and reform the states and, above all, to communicate in the region that the countries in the region continue to have a European perspective.
- The region is of great interest to the EU in terms of both economic and security policy.
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The series informs in a concentrated form about important positions of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung on current topics. The individual issues present key findings and recommendations, offer brief analyses, explain the Foundation's further plans and name KAS contact persons.
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