The CEU Center for European Neighborhood Studies (CENS) and the Andrassy University hosted an international conference on May 23, 2016 entitled “Regional Cooperation and Regional Identity in the Western Balkans: Similarities and Differences” to address the issues of regional cooperation and regional identity in the Western Balkan countries.

After the 1990s, the Western Balkans has not created a joint understanding or image of the region, has not agreed on what defines the region and where it belongs to, despite maintaining good neighborly relations and participating in regional cooperation. The general conclusion of the conference was that the countries’ own perception and image is rather diverging, which drives the region apart instead of bringing it closer together.

The conference was divided into three parts. In the first panel, the speakers examined the image construction and belonging issues, while the second panel will focus on specific events in the region which shape the identity. The final round-table discussion gathered all the speakers for a more informal discussion with a high participation of the audience.

Please find the detailed summary of the event here.