In the aftermath of Brexit referendum and after the Paris Summit, it is of utmost importance to reflect over the progress achieved so far in the framework of the Berlin process (BP), its place in the myriad of existing regional cooperation initiatives and platforms 2, and the challenges ahead. Three years after its inception and one year before its end, it is time to take stock of its dynamics and to contribute with contextualized recommendations on its role to further enhance regional cooperation in the Western Balkans (WB6), and to its contribution to the EU accession path of the WB6 countries. In its endeavour to document, analyse and promote the Berlin process, Cooperation and Development Institute (CDI) and its partners – Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES), Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) and Hanns Seidel Stiftung (HSS) – are producing their latest study “Monitoring the Berlin Process: From Paris to Trieste”. Its aim is to assess the current achievements and remaining challenges, to identify innovations and the added value of the process, to document its parcours with focus on Albania, and provide an assessment on its future the Summit of Trieste. This study is a component of the Berlin Process Series and complements former assessments done by CDI on specific pillars of the BP such as connectivity, migration or youth cooperation.
We have included in the first section of the study the main conclusions of the annual conference “From Paris to Rome – Perspectives from Albania on Regional Cooperation”, held in Tirana on October 26-27, 2016, developed under the Chatham House Rules.
