This paper examines the geopolitical, security, and developmental relevance of the Western Balkans (WB) for the European Union’s cohesion and economic convergence initiatives. It analyses how deeper EU engagement and integration pathways influence regional stability, economic modernization, and strategic resilience. Particular attention is paid to resource allocation and potential, foreign-investment opportunities, and EU-aligned CFSP and CSDP. This analysis evaluates available EU policy instruments and proposes practical engagement approaches focused on governance capacity, economic development, and risk reduction.

Key takeaways:

• The The Western Balkans (WB) region – Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia – despite experiencing historical institutional instability, regional economic uncertainty, and political inefficiency – represents a host of geopolitical or convergence-based investment incentives for EU actors.
• Macroeconomic conditions and competitive labor costs in the Western Balkans indicate the region’s strategic salience regarding European economic cooperation.
• To promote regional security alignment, cooperation, and European credibility, EU policy instruments which promote informational accountability and resilience against foreign manipulation should be prioritized.
• Occupying territory with largely untapped primary natural resource endowments, which if invested in efficiently, have the opportunity to aid the EU in its stated goal of natural resource self-sufficiency.

Policy paper – Benton Aslan

Celý text naleznete v PDF pod odkazem níže.