The Western Balkans will most likely remain an exporter of smart, educated people for years to come – within a migration dynamic that destination countries control. Public discourse on brain drain in the Western Balkans is often oversimplified: emigration boosts knowledge transfers, remittances, and access to advanced technology, improving stability and long-term development opportunities in the region. Membership of the EU would not end – and could even exacerbate – brain drain, as can be seen from developments in Bulgaria, Romania, and Croatia. Western Balkans governments must break their silence on emigration and be willing to take part in a difficult debate on the issue based on reliable data. The EU…

For the past two decades, Turkey has been rediscovering the Balkans. The end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s and the subsequent violence were decisive points in Turkish foreign policy. New openings toward southeast Europe and the creation of new states greatly transformed the foreign policy strategies of Turkey, which was aiming for far-reaching political impact. Joining multilateral forces, Turkey took an active role and put greater emphasis on Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), where Muslims had suffered tragically during the Bosnian War (1992–1995). Later on, during the Kosovo War in 1999 and throughout the long-standing dispute between the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia…

This innovative publication is the unique and timely contribution to the debate on socio-economic matters in the Western Balkans and the economic future of the region. To get a full sense of what is the state of the Western Balkans economy and where we take it from here, we bring you the thoughts of prominent practitioners, scholars, and academics. This innovative publication is the unique and timely contribution to the debate on socio-economic matters in the Western Balkans and the economic future of the region. Between January and May 2017, we interviewed Mr Laza Kekić, Dr Phil Dušan Reljić, Prof Dr Vladimir Gligorov, Mrs Ellen Goldstein, Prof Dr Milica Uvalić,…