Feb 24, Tirana
South East Cooperation Process meeting
- Ministers of Foreign Affairs of SEECP members
- Latvian EU Presidency
- RCC
- RCC invited to prepare a regional cooperation platform to fight terrorism
Mar 20, Vienna
Conference “Tackling Jihadism Together – Shaping, Preventing, Reacting”
- Austria, Croatia, Italy, Slovenia, WB6 Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Interior
- EC, OSCE, RCC, Europol
- Ministers will enhance cooperation in fighting extremism and international terrorism
Mar 25, Pristina
Conference “Improved Connectivity and a Strong Core Network”
- WB6 Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Infrastructure
- DG NEAR Commissioner
- Draft Core Network Agreement announced
- Technical standards must be met by 2030 to have the Core Network completed
Apr 21, Brussels
Summit “Building Networks, Connecting People”
- WB6 Prime Ministers
- DG NEAR Commissioner DG MOVE Commissioner RCC
- Core transport network agreed upon
- National Investment Committees must establish Single Project Pipeline of priority investments
Apr 23, Brdo pri Kranju
Brdo-Brijuni Process meeting
- Italy, France, Slovenia and WB6 Ministers of Foreign Affairs
- State Secretary of Federal Foreign Office of Germany
- DG NEAR Commissioner
- Programmes of the Positive Agenda for Youth to made more effective
May 6, Brussels
Regional cooperation day in Brussels
- WB6 Ministers of Foreign Affairs
- DG NEAR Commissioner
- RCC
- Furthering regional cooperation was deemed priority
May 25-26, Belgrade
CSO preparatory meeting for the Vienna Summit
- Regional civil society organisations and think tanks
- Recommendations for the Vienna Summit prepared (regional cooperation, creation of jobs and prosperity, freedom of expression)
Jun 12, Sarajevo
Regional BIRN conference
- Regional media professionals and experts
- Recommendations for the Vienna Summit prepared (legal protection of journalists, state influence, rules on ownership and financing of outlets, hate speech)
Jun 22, Riga
TEN-T Days 2015
- WB6 Ministers of Transport
- DG NEAR Commissioner
- Energy Security Community
- The Core network, the Corridors and the mandate of the Corridor coordinat
Jul 8, Vienna
Conference “Connecting Systems, connecting Markets”
- WB6 Ministers of Energy
- DG NEAR Commissioner
- Director of Energy Security Community
- Shortlist of investment projects agreed upon, energy soft measures to be completed, regional power market initiative to be launched, NICs to be established
Jul 15-17, Haale and Berlin
Joint Science Conference
- National Academies and Rector’ Conferences of WB6, Austria, Germany, Italy and Slovenia
- 3% of GDP for higher education and science should be allocated, research foundation should be established
Participants:
- WB6: Presidents and Prime Ministers, Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Economy
- EU: EC President and Vice-President, DG NEAR Commissioner, HR of the EU Foreign Policy and Security Affairs
- Austria, Croatia, Germany, Slovenia: Prime Ministers, Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Economy
- France: Secretary of State for European Affairs, Special Envoy of Minister of Foreign Affairs
- Italy: Minister of Foreign Affairs, Director General of the Ministry of Economy International financial institutions
Topics:
- Bilateral issues
- Migration and fight against terrorism Economic prosperity
- Connectivity agenda
- Youth
- Education and science
Commitments:
- Declaration on Regional Cooperation and Solution of Bilateral Disputes signed Declaration on Establishment of RYCO signed
- Annual Economic Reform Programmes (ERPs) will be prepared
- 6 transport and 4 energy infrastructure investment projects agreed upon
- The list of “soft measures” to be implemented before the Paris Summit was agreed upon Establishment of a regional energy market agreed upon
- 1 billion euros for connectivity projects will be made available from IPA II
- Obstacles to the Transport Community Treaty to be overcome
Highlight:
- Recommendations on enhancing regional cooperation, media freedom, job creation and solution of bilateral issues presented
Highlight:
- Agreement on establishment of the WB6 Chamber Investment Forum signed
Sep 18, Split
Conference “WISE”
- WB6 Ministers of Education and Science
- Minister of Education of Croatia
- “WB Research and Innovation Centre” (WISE) was established
Oct 8, Luxembourg
Conference “Eastern Mediterranean –Western Balkans route”
- WB6, EU member states, Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan Ministers of Justice and Home Affairs
- Migrants must be returned to countries of origin
- WB6 assistance commended
- Key joint actions agreed upon
Oct 21, Budva
Inauguration meeting of the WB6 CIF
- Members of the WB6 Chamber Investment Forum
- Working groups were established and rules of procedure adopted
Oct 25, Brussels
Meeting on the WB Migration Route
- Presidents/ Prime Ministers: Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, FYROM, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia; President of the EC; Reps of the Luxembourg Presidency of EU Council, of the future Dutch Presidency, UNHCR, Frontex, European Asylum Support Office
- 17-point action plan agreed upon
Nov 12-13, Prague
Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the V4 and the WB6
- Ministers of Foreign Affairs of WB6 and V4
- Representatives of the EC, of Croatia, Slovenia, UK
- RCC Secretary General
- The Agreement on Establishment of the Western Balkans Fund signed
Dec 7-8, Sarajevo
EU-WB Forum on Justice and Home Affairs
- Ministers for Justice and Home Affairs of WB6 and the EU member states
- DG HOME Commissioner
- EU-Western Balkans counter terrorism initiative adopted
Picture: Andy Wenzel/German Chancellor's Office