The Berlin Process - 2018

Jan 24 – 26, Kolasin

Regional Meeting on Security

• Representatives of WB6 Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Ministries of Interior/ Security and Ministries of Finance
• UK Summit team, Home Office
• EU Delegation to Montenegro, RCC, MARRI
• GIZ ORF EU Integration
• Coordination among the WB6 Ministries of Interior and with other relevant structures involved in strengthening security in the Western Balkans region, in the field of combating transnational organized crime, money laundering and terrorism
• Exchange of views regarding the inclusion of the topic of the WB region security in the London Summit agenda

Feb 16-18, Skopje

Digital Summit Preparatory Meeting and Exchange on REA Structures

• Representatives of WB6 Ministries of Foreign Affairs and institutions in charge of digital agenda
• GIZ ORF EUI Integration
•  The meeting kickstarted cooperation of the representatives from institutions in charge of digital agenda and produced a platform for exchange of ideas

Feb 26, London

WB Investment Summit

• Prime ministers of the WB6 and Bulgaria
• Representatives of the EC, EBRD and other IFIs, RCC and WB6 CIF 
• Establishment of the REA is understood to be the key element of the “soft connectivity”

Mar 16, Sarajevo

Meeting (informal) of the WB6 Ministers of Foreign Affairs

• WB6 Ministers of Foreign Affairs
• UK Minister for Europe, UK Summit coordinator
• DG NEAR Director General
• Representative of the Bulgarian Presidency
• RCC and GIZ ORF EU Integration 
• Progress on the Trieste commitments was assessed
• Rule of law, bilateral issues and reconciliation were emphasized as critical to the region’s EU integration, in light of the upcoming London Summit

Mar 16, Sarajevo

Conference of the WB6 Ministers of Foreign Affairs

• WB6 Ministers of Foreign Affairs
• The list of projects selected for funding by the Western Balkans Fund was approved

Mar 19-20, Sarajevo

Preparatory meeting for the London Summit

• Representatives of WB6 Ministries of Foreign Affairs
• GIZ ORF EU Integration
•  Information exchange on progress regarding Transport Community and REA
• The EU Strategy for the WB, priorities and program of the EU – WB Summit in Sofia, and expectations and deliverables of the WB Summit in London were discussed

Apr 18-19, Skopje

Western Balkans Digital Summit

• Prime ministers of the WB6 
• Ministers of the WB6
• Representative of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy
• DG NEAR and DG CONNECTCommissioners 
• Representatives of RCC and EIB
•  The Digital Agenda Flagship initiative was welcomed
• Readiness expressed to set up a regional framework for recognition of certificates of electronic signature and facilitation of crossborder trusted services
• The importance of extending the scope of the Regional Roaming Agreement and of establishing cooperation with the European Union Network and Information Security Agency (ENISA) was

Apr 26, Vienna

Preparatory meeting for the London Summit

• UK Summit coordinator and his team 
• Civil Society Forum of the WB
• GIZ ORF EU Integration 
• The Civil Society Forum policy briefs, prepared in accordance with the topics of the London Summit were presented to the UK Summit team and discussed

Apr 27, Skopje

Preparatory meeting for the London Summit

• WB6 Head of States
• Presidents of Croatia and Slovenia 
• Prime Minister of Bulgaria 
• European Council President
• Responsibility of the WB6 to strengthen the rule of law, fundamental human rights, efficient judiciary, good governance, the fight against corruption and organized crime was underlined
• The importance of refraining from polarising populist and nationalist rhetoric or activity that may increase tension in bilateral and regional relations was stressed

May 28-29, Tirana

Preparatory meeting for the London Summit

• Representatives of WB6 Prime Ministers, Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Interior Ministers
• UK Summit team
• Ambassadors of Germany and the UK
• GIZ ORF EU Integration 
• Update on preparations for the London Summit and working sessions on the expected outcomes of the Summit

May 30 – Jun 1, Rome

Joint Science Conference

• National Academies and Rectors’ Conferences of WB6 and memberstates participating in the Process
• Recommendations prepared for the London Summit on smart growth, convergence and cohesion, and cooperation

Jun 14, Brussels

Joint Working Group on Recognition of Ac. Qualifications

• Representatives of the Ministries of Education of the WB6
• Agreements on principles and steps towards mutual recognition of academic qualifications

Jun 25-26, Sofia

Digital Assembly

• Representative of the subject WB6 ministries
• DG CONNECT Commissioner 
• RCC Secretary General
•  The Digital Agenda for the Western Balkans was launched
• Under the WBIF, 30 million euros in EU grants will be made available to deploy broadband infrastructure in the region

Jun 26, Brussels

Ministerial meeting of the WB platforms on Education and Training & Research and Innovation

• WB6 Ministers of Education and Science
• Representatives of the EC, RCC, OECD, RYCO, ETF and WBAA 
• A set of key principles on automatic recognition of academic qualifications in the Western Balkans was endorsed

Jun 29 – Jul 1, Novi Sad

Regional Youth Forum 

• WB6 youth representatives 
• Prime Minister of Serbia 
• RYCO Secretary General
• Mayors of Novi Sad and Tirana 
• GIZ ORF EU Integration 
• Models of future regional cooperation based on reconciliation and mutual understanding were discussed

Jul 4, Vienna

Economy Ministers meeting

• WB6 Economy and Finance Ministers
• Representatives of Berlin Process governments (EU member states), EC, the IFIs, regional and international organisations
• Participants welcomed progress towards setup of the WBRF, in implementation of MAP REA, the new guarantee instrument by the EC under WBIF
• Addressing skill gaps in the context of digitalisation within the Berlin Process was discussed

Jul 2 – Jul 4, Berlin

Regional conference “New Dynamics of TVET in the WB”

• WB6 Education/Labour Ministers and other relevant participants from the WB
• German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development 
• The necessary adjustments of the regional technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in the light of globalisation and digitalisation were discussed
• A joint Communiqué was prepared

Participants:

• WB6: Prime Ministers, Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Interior (and Security) and Economy
• Prime Ministers of Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Germany, Greece, Poland, Slovenia and the United Kingdom and representatives of the French President and the Italian Prime Minister
• Ministers (and/or representatives) of Foreign Affairs, Interior (and Security) and Economy of Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Germany, Greece, France, Italy, Poland, Slovenia and the United Kingdom
• EU: HR of the EU Foreign Policy and Security Affairs, DG NEAR Commissioner and other representatives of EU institutions International financial institutions

Topics:

• Security issues
• Regional cooperation and good neighbourly relations, missing persons and war crimes
• Fight against corruption 
• Digitalisation – youth education

Commitments:

• Principles of regional cooperation in information-exchange for law enforcement agreed upon (Declaration)
• Roadmap for a sustainable solution to the illegal possession, misuse and trafficking of Small Arms and Light Weapons and their ammunition in the WB by 2024 agreed upon
• Declarations on regional cooperation and good neighbourly relations, on missing persons, and on war crimes were signed and stocktaking of progress in resolution of bilateral issues agreed upon
• Anti-corruption commitments were made
• The Berlin Process Security Commitments Steering Group was set up
• Funds were pledged for digitalisation of schools and for strengthening of democracy in the WB

Highlights:

• The participants discussed youth issues and the future of the Berlin Process
• The Civil Society Forum of the Western Balkans presented recommendations for the continuation of the Berlin Process to the Forum and at the Meeting of the Berlin Process Foreign Ministers – increased focus on the rule of law, migrations and green topics, structured monitoring of implementation of commitments and increased regional ownership

Apr 27, Skopje

Brdo-Brijuni Process Meeting

• WB6 Presidents and Prime Ministers
• Presidents of Croatia and Slovenia
• EC President
• Synergy of the Process with the Berlin Process, as well as the responsibility of the WB6 for the rule of law, protection of human rights and the importance of refraining from nationalistic rhetoric were stressed

Sep 27, New York

WB6 Ministers of Foreign Affairs

• HR of the EU Foreign Policy and Security Affairs
• DG NEAR Commissioner 
• Continuation of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue was supported

Oct 9, Pristina

Regional meeting of WB6 MFAs’ and Prime Ministers’ offices representatives

• Representatives of WB6 Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Prime Ministers’ Offices
• UK Summit Team
• Poland Summit Team, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland
• Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs of Austria
• GIZ ORF EU Integration 
• Discussion on the 2019 Summit outcomes and on expectations from the 2020 Summit
• Preparations for the first stocktaking seminar on bilateral issues within the Process

Nov 7, Tirana

Reflection Forum

• Albanian and EU civil society organisations and think tanks
• EU and EU member states’ official representatives in Albania
• Official representatives of Albania
• RYCO 
• GIZ ORF EU Integration 
• Discussion on Albania’s EU accession process, WB6 cooperation and the results and prospects of the Berlin Process

Nov 16, Vienna

1st Stocktaking seminar on bilateral issues

• Representatives of WB6 Ministries of Foreign Affairs 
• Representatives of EU member states participating in the Berlin Process
• Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs of Austria
• Regional and EU think tanks
• GIZ ORF EU Integration 
• Reporting procedures, templates and establishment of a system of focal points agreed upon

Nov 20, London

The 1st Berlin Process Security Commitments Steering Group meeting

• WB6 Security and Interior Ministers
• UK Summit team and Home office representatives
• Stocktaking of the commitments’ implementation
• Discussion on steps to counter illegal SWLA illegal flow, violent extremism and organised crime

Nov 28, Belgrade

Reflection Forum

• Serbian and EU civil society organisations and think tanks 
• EU and EU member states’ official representatives in Serbia
• Official representatives of Serbia
• GIZ ORF EU Integration 
• Discussion on Serbia’s EU accession process, WB6 cooperation and the results and prospects of the Berlin Process