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1. VISA POLICIES IN SOUTH EASTERN EUROPE: A HINDRANCE OR A STEPPING STONE TO EUROPEAN INTEGRATION?

Author:
Martin Baldwin-Edwards
Publication Date:
10-2006
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
EastWest Institute
Abstract:
South Eastern Europe (SEE) has been under great pressure from the European Union (EU) to modernize and improve its border management, while simultaneously trying to facilitate cross-border flows and good neighborly relations in the region. The forthcoming accession to the EU of two countries from the region, Bulgaria and Romania, and recently opened negotiations for the accession of two more, Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, have the potential to damage both cross-border flows and regional stability. One of the principal factors influencing this potential is the requirement for acceding countries to implement the Schengen regime – in particular, the so-called “black list” of countries whose nationals require visas to enter the Schengen area. At this time, from the Balkan region only Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania are not on the “black list”.
Topic:
International Relations, Foreign Policy, and Regional Cooperation
Political Geography:
Europe, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Balkans, Romania, Macedonia, and Croatia

2. Ways Forward for Conflict Prevention and Development in GPKT

Author:
Andrew Sherriff
Publication Date:
07-2005
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
EastWest Institute
Abstract:
Violent conflict primarily between ethnic Albanian armed groups and Serbian and Macedonian security forces has been a feature of the recent history of Kosovo, southern Serbia and fYR Macedonia and also the municipalities of Gjilan/Gnjilane, Kumanovo and Presevo. Violent conflict has also indirectly affected the municipality of Trgoviste.
Topic:
Conflict Prevention, Security, and Regional Cooperation
Political Geography:
Kosovo, Balkans, Macedonia, and Albania

3. Local Government Gender Mechanisms in the GPKT Micro-region

Author:
Kristina Hadzi-Vasileva
Publication Date:
07-2005
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
EastWest Institute
Abstract:
The areas constituting the GPKT micro-region (fYR Macedonia,1 Serbia and Kosovo) belong to some of the least developed countries in Europe. Transition to market economies has been delayed because of armed conflicts, exclusion from the international community during periods of conflict, as well as the slow process of privatization (in the case of fYR Macedonia and Serbia). Despite the fact they once used to be a part of a single country, the current connection between these areas is unfortunately their characterization of political instability and weak institutions, problems compounded by the common struggle to transform their respective economies.
Topic:
Economics, Gender Issues, and Government
Political Geography:
Europe, Kosovo, Serbia, and Macedonia

4. Border Management in the Kosovo-Southern Serbia-fYR Macedonia Vortex: a Local Perspective

Author:
Henry Bolton
Publication Date:
03-2005
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
EastWest Institute
Abstract:
The impositions of firstly, the international border between the fYR Macedonia and Yugoslavia in 1992, and secondly the conversion of Kosovo's Administrative Boundary Line (the ABL), between the province of Kosovo and the Republic of Serbia, into a de-facto border in 1999, have had significant impacts on the social and economic lives of the predominantly ethnic Albanian border communities of Kosovo, Serbia and fYR Macedonia within the GPKT (Gjilan/Gnjilane-Presevo-Kumanovo-Trgoviste) micro-region. The situation in the past, whereby the people of the micro-region could travel and interact freely, whether socially or commercially, has changed. Now people wishing to cross from one side of the GPKT micro-region to another, say Gjilan/Gnjiilane to Kumanovo, must cross what are, in effect, two policed and guarded borders, complete with passport checks and customs inspections.
Topic:
International Relations, Economics, and Government
Political Geography:
Eastern Europe, Kosovo, Yugoslavia, and Macedonia

5. Sustainable Regional Development through Institutionalised Trans-frontier Cooperation in the Sofia-Skopje-Nis Triangle--Towards the Establishment of a Euroregion

Author:
Stoyan Totev and Maria Boyadjieva
Publication Date:
04-2003
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
EastWest Institute
Abstract:
The transition process in Central and Eastern Europe was associated with increasing intra-regional disparities. It appears also that the regional inequalities in South east Europe are relatively high creating in the same time significantly higher economic and social problems. That refers to Bulgaria, Macedonia and FR Yugoslavia whereas every reform face serious difficulties due to the lower readiness for accession to the EU structures as well as for their backwardness in the economic development. In countries like Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovenia there exist enough resources for facing the negative effects from one or another reform as well as the necessary readiness of the population the reform s to be carried out.
Topic:
Development, Economics, and International Trade and Finance
Political Geography:
Europe, Eastern Europe, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, and Macedonia

6. Fostering Stability and Sustainable Development via Institutional Transfrontier Cooperation in the Prespa/Ohrid Region

Publication Date:
04-2003
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
EastWest Institute
Abstract:
On March 14-15, 2003, over a hundred participants, including Ministers, Deputy Ministers and high level government officials, Mayors and Prefects, representatives of Chambers of Commerce, development agencies and the NGO sector met in Thessaloniki, Greece, alongside representatives of international organizations, for a two day conference on ëFostering Stability and Sustainable Development via Institutional Transfrontier Cooperation in the Lake Prespa/Ohrid Region.
Topic:
Development, Economics, and International Trade and Finance
Political Geography:
Europe and Macedonia

7. TFC Nis-Sofia-Skopje: Euroregion Inauguration Conference

Publication Date:
04-2003
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
EastWest Institute
Abstract:
At the strong initiative of the Mayors of the cities of Niš, Skopje and Sofia, and with the active support of the EastWest Institute's Programme for Transfrontier Cooperation, a long-term process was launched to intensify transfrontier cooperation between the border regions of the Republic of Bulgaria, the FYR Macedonia and the FR of Yugoslavia. The overall objective of this initiative is to employ intensified cross-border cooperation as a tool for regional economic development and integration within this Niš-Skoplje-Sofia Triangle, as well as to foster conditions of prosperity, security and peaceful co-existence between neighboring peoples and states.
Topic:
Arms Control and Proliferation and Economics
Political Geography:
Europe, Eastern Europe, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Macedonia, and Maryland

8. Prespa Economic Task Force Report: Barriers and Incentives to Cross-Border Economic Development

Publication Date:
01-2003
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
EastWest Institute
Abstract:
Building upon the positive co-operation undertaken to date, mainly concerning the protection and management of the Prespa Lakes region and the Prespa Park following the trilateral Declaration by the Prime Ministers: Mr. Costas Simitis, Mr. Ljubc o Georgievski and Mr. Ilir Meta, of 2 February , 2000, and in the spirit of the joint message delivered on 29 September 2000 by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs Mr Aleksandar Dimitrov, Mr Paskal Milo and Mr George Papandreou at the Otesevo Conference a s well as the conclusions of the afore-mentioned conference (co-organised by the EastWest Institute, the Council of the Europe and the OSCE) an d the conclusions of the trilateral cross-border co-operation meeting, Korca – Kozani – Bitola, adopted in Kozani, September, 2001, EastWest Institute in close collaboration with its partners, (the Regional Enterprise Support Centre (RESC) in Bitola (former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia), the Centre for Inter - Balkan Cooperation (CIBC) in Kozani (Greece) and the Regional Development Agency (RDA ) in Korce (Albania), launched a process for the creation of the Prespa Economic Task Force.
Topic:
International Cooperation, International Trade and Finance, and Political Economy
Political Geography:
Eastern Europe, Greece, Balkans, Macedonia, Albania, Maryland, and Kozani

9. Inauguration of the Euroregion

Publication Date:
10-2002
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
EastWest Institute
Abstract:
At the strong initiative of the Mayors of the ci ties of Niš, Skopje and Sofia, and with the active support of the EastWest Institute's Programme for Transfrontier Cooperation, a long-term process was launched to intensify transfrontier cooperation between the border regions of the Republic of Bulgaria, the FY R Macedonia and the FR of Yugoslavia. The overall objective of this initiative is to employ intensified cross-border cooperation as a tool for regional economic development and integration within this Niš-Skoplje-Sofia Triangle, as well as to foster conditions of prosperity, security and peaceful co-existence between neighboring peoples and states.
Topic:
Development, Economics, and International Trade and Finance
Political Geography:
Europe, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, and Macedonia

10. Overcoming Obstacles to Private Sector Investment in Macedonia and Albania

Publication Date:
11-1999
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
EastWest Institute
Abstract:
South Eastern Europe remains one of the most volatile regions in Europe today. The conflict in Yugoslavia has wide-reaching political, social and economic implications not only for the immediate region, but also for Europe as a whole. It is, hopefully, the last chapter of military conflicts that had previously engulfed Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia- Herzegovina. It has added a new dimension to the already unfavorable external environment for many transition economies, worsening further their short-term economic outlook. The conflict-related economic damage already incurred is quite substantial.
Political Geography:
Europe, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Yugoslavia, Macedonia, Albania, and Slovenia