A representative of the NGO Mladiinfo Montenegro (m!M) attended the online conference “The Times of Challenge” on September 25 and 26, which was organized by the European Movement in Montenegro. The conference was attended by senior government officials and representatives of more than 40 prominent NGOs from the Balkans and Europe. The event was organized as part of the project “Together for EU Enlargement – V4 and WB Strengthening the Cohesion of EU Integration and the Berlin Process”, funded by the International Visegrad Fund.
The first day of the conference was dedicated to the consequences of Covid-19, the economies in the Western Balkans, what the European Union should do to strengthen its role in the region and the position of the Balkan countries as candidates for membership in the European Union. Polish Ambassador to Montenegro Artur Dmochowski stated that regional cooperation and collaboration between countries is very important, especially after the Covid-19 crisis. Member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Sefik Dzaferovic said that the membership of all countries in the European Union and NATO brings us the rule of law, European prosperity and security. He also states the following: “It is very important that the entire Western Balkans remain part of a broader integration. The European Union is the best we have and in that way the issue of borders is relativized, overall relations are relaxed and the sooner we become members of the European Union and NATO, the better and more advanced things will be in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region.“
The structure and achievements of the Berlin Process in the countries of the Western Balkans, the implementation and financial management of activities and projects within the Berlin Process are the theses that concluded the first day of the conference. The second day of the conference included a discussion on improving cooperation between the public and civil sector and the conclusions that the European Union is doing a lot for the countries of the Western Balkans in the form of various projects and large financial assistance.