Welcome to the 1st Edition of Kosovo Peace and Democracy Summit!
The Western Balkans has been on a challenging but steady path of European integration process, and while significant progress has been achieved, internal challenges with governance capacities and democratic process persist, while bilateral disputes complicate regional cooperation. The Russian invasion of Ukraine, earlier this year, has made it painfully clear that it is time for bold actions, both on the part of the EU to expand the zone of peace and prosperity, and for Kosovo and Serbia to resolve their disputes and move forward in the integration process. We believe a comprehensive and legally binding agreement between Kosovo and Serbia that resolves outstanding disputes is vital for peace and democracy for our societies, and for the region as a whole.
With the support of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund (RBF), Sbunker, NSI and KCSS have actively campaigned over the past three years to foster a better understanding of the relevance of the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia for the Western Balkans and the Euro-Atlantic perspective of the region. In order to have a deeper understanding of the challenges, and more importantly the opportunities to move the process of normalization of relations forward, we organized the first edition of the Kosovo Peace and Democracy Summit from 21st until 22nd of September, 2022 focused on building momentum for normalization of relations between
Kosovo and Serbia.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2022
08:30 Coffee and registration
09:00 Welcome remarks by Agon Maliqi (Sbunker), Jovana Radosavljević (NSI), & Mentor Vrajolli (KCSS)
09:15 Opening short remark by Cynthia Cook, Deputy Political Chief, U.S. Embassy in Kosovo
09:20 Special remarks by Manuel Sarrazin, German Federal Government Special Representative for the Countries of the Western Balkans (video message)
09:35 Working session I: Scenarios for EU accession of the region
Presentation of Sbunker paper by Labinot Hoxha, independent researcher and analyst
Panel discussion with:
- Odeta Barbullushi, Advisor to the Albanian Prime Minister (Confirmed)
- Simonida Kacarska, Director, European Policy Institute in Skopje (Confirmed)
- Srđan Majstorović, Chairman of the Board of the European Policy Centre, Belgrade (Confirmed)
Moderator: Visar Xhambazi, (Sbunker)
11:15 Short break
11:30 Working session II: Scenarios for Kosovo-Serbia relations by 2027
Brief presentation of NSI paper on Kosovo-Serbia scenarios by Shpetim Gashi and Jovana Radosavjlević.
Panel discussion with:
- Blerim Shala, former chief negotiator of Kosovo government (Confirmed)
- Sonja Licht, President, Foundation BFPE for a Responsible Society (Confirmed)
- Damir Marušić, Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council, USA (Confirmed)
Moderator: Milica Andrić Rakić, New Social Initiative (NSI)
13:30 Lunch Break
15:00 Pivotal geopolitical moment: How can the international community help?
A conversation with Damon Wilson, President and CEO of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) by Maja Piščević, Non-Resident Senior Fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Europe Center.
15:30 Family Photo
16:00 Coffee Break
16:30 Resolution of regional bilateral disputes: Changing the narrative from risks to opportunities
Presentation of Sbunker paper “The opportunity costs of the Kosovo-Serbia stalemate” by Ramadan Ilazi
Panel discussion with:
- Ditmir Bushati, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Albania (Confirmed);
- Nikola Dimitrov, former Deputy Prime Minister of North Macedonia (Confirmed);
- Jovana Marović, Deputy Prime Minister of Montenegro (Confirmed);
- Visar Ymeri, Executive Director Institute for Social Policy “Musine Kokalari”, (Confirmed).
Moderator: Ramadan Ilazi, Head of research at the Kosovar Centre for Security Studies (KCSS)
18:30 END DAY 1
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022
08:30 Coffee and registration
09:00 Working session III: Civil society’s role in conflict disruption
Presentation of Sbunker mapping paper on conflict disruptors by Teuta Avdimetaj and Ramadan Ilazi
Panel discussion with:
- Belgzim Kamberi, Institute for Social Policy Musine Kokalari; (Confirmed)
- Vlora Reçica, Institute for Democracy, Skopje (Confirmed);
- Sofija Todorović, Youth Initiative for Human Rights (Confirmed);
Moderator: Zana Cimili, TV correspondent N1 (Confirmed).
11:00 Signing and endorsement of a joint statement by conference participants
Presentation of joint statement by Agon Maliqi (Sbunker), Jovana Radosavljevic (NSI), and Mentor Vrajolli (KCSS)
11:30 LUNCH
13:00 DEPARTURE OF PARTICIPANTS
