20/11/2018
From 16-18th of november kcss has held the european integration school:module on security and foreign policy. This event gathered 21 respondents of civil society organization, media and representatives of security sector to discuss on various issues related to foreign policy and security.
This workshop aimed to raise discussions on the opportunities offered by the SAA for Kosovo, Kosovo's participation in regional initiatives and platforms designed to assist the six countries on their path to the EU-such as the Berlin Process; kosovo’s participation in EU military and civilian missions, as well as the importance of more proactive cooperation with Albania in sharing expertise and experiences on the path of the two countries towards the EU.
Panel one
The focus of the first panel was Kosovo in the process of EU integration. The panel began with a presentation of the topic and current situation of Kosovo by KCSS researcher Mrs. Donika Emini. Emini elaborated regional co-operation in the Western Balkans, with emphasis on the Berlin Process. Mr. Naim Rashiti explained how the agenda of the state of Kosovo was dominated by the Dialogue in Brussels. In addition, Rashiti has elaborated five possible scenarios of the dialogue epilogue such as failure to reach an agreement, the model of two Germanies, Brussels 2, and the possibility of territorial exchange. The presentation was followed by a very fruitful discussion where participants expressed their ideas about the dialogue, the visa liberalization process and the EU integration process.
Panel two
The panel began with the introduction of the topic by KCSS researcher Mrs. Donika Marku. Marku introduced the research focusing on the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA). According to Marku, the SAA, in particular the chapter on the Political Dialogue, offers an opportunity for Kosovo to initiate political dialogue for participation in EU peacekeeping operations and missions. Moreover, the SAA enables Kosovo to initiate a policy dialogue on security and defense through the Stabilization Association Council. In response, the Kosovo government should draft documents to link Kosovo's foreign policy with the EU, particularly with regard to peacekeeping operations and missions. Following the presentation of the KCSS report, Deputy Minister of KSF Burim Ramadani spoke about the possible participation of the KSF in Peacekeeping Missions, discussing the actual capacities and preparations of the KSF. Another perspective was given by Redion Qiriazi who presented Albania's experience with such missions.
Panel three
The purpose of this panel was to give an overview of the cooperation between Kosovo and Albania in various fields. A key part of this panel were presentations stemming from the work of the group of participants. The discussion started with a presentation by Mr. Agon Maliqi, Sbunker, who stressed that despite its importance, no report or research has been written about this subject. Furthermore, there is no prior research regarding the implementation of the signed agreements between Kosovo and Albania. To Maliqi, the implementation of such agreements is crucial to maintain and deepen this co-operation. On the other hand, another perspective was covered by Mr. Taulant Hoxha, Director of KCSF, who presented a collaboration between CSOs and how this cooperation could be enhanced. Also, the two panelists paid attention to connectivity as a way to improve this co-operation. Panelists and participants emphasized the importance of exchanging best practices and experiences as a tool to facilitate the two countries on their path to EU integration.
A key element of the workshop was the group work. During the group work the participants were divided in two groups where one group discussed on ways of enhancing cooperation in field of security and the other group worked on enhancing cooperation in foreign policy. The group work and presentations provided a good projection of ways of maintaining and deepening the cooperation between albania and kosovo in field of security and foreign affairs.
The European Integration School -Module on Security and Foreign Policy is an annual activity of KCSS, in the continuation of activities for advancement and capacity building of Kosovo institutions. At the end of the school all participants were given a certificate as a gratitude for the contribution given to this workshop.
