The BalkansBAWL-kənz, also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographic area in Southeast Europe with various definitions and meanings, including geopolitical and historical. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the whole of Bulgaria from the Serbian–Bulgarian border to the Black Sea coast. The Balkan Peninsula is bordered by the Adriatic Sea on the northwest, the Ionian Sea on the southwest, the Aegean Sea in the south and southeast, and the Black Sea on the east and northeast. The northern border of the peninsula is variously defined. The highest point of the Balkans is Mount Musala, 2,925 metres (9,596 ft), in the Rila mountain range, Bulgaria.
The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) is a U.S. non-profit soft power organization that was founded in 1983 with the stated goal of promoting democracy abroad. It is funded primarily through an annual allocation from the U.S. Congress in the form of a grant awarded through the United States Information Agency (USIA). It was created by The Democracy Program as a bipartisan, private, non-profit corporation, and in turn acts as a grant-making foundation. In addition to its grants program, NED also supports and houses the Journal of Democracy, the World Movement for Democracy, the International Forum for Democratic Studies, the Reagan–Fascell Fellowship Program, the Network of Democracy Research Institutes, and the Center for International Media Assistance.
The Socialist Party of Serbia is a left-wing populist political party in Serbia that identifies as democratic socialist and social-democratic. The Socialist Party of Serbia was the direct descendant of the League of Communists of Serbia. Throughout its existence, the party has utilised some nationalist rhetoric and themes, and has therefore been labelled a Serbian nationalist party, although the SPS has never identified itself as such.
Southeast Europe or Southeastern Europe (SEE) is a geographical region of Europe, consisting primarily of the coterminous Balkan Peninsula. There are overlapping and conflicting definitions as to where exactly Southeastern Europe begins or ends or how it relates to other regions of the continent. Sovereign states that are, at least partially, included in the region are, in alphabetical order: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, and East Thrace.
The Global Development Alliance (GDA) is a program of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). It was created in May 2001 as a new way to effectively provide aid to developing countries through public-private partnerships. The GDA model combines the resources of corporations, foundations, the faith-based community, indigenous organizations, and other nontraditional partners, with the technical expertise and experience of the U.S. Government. It aligns public resources with private capital, expertise and networks to deepen development impact. These public-private alliances are a response to an ever-growing private sector that has the potential to have a large impact in the developing world. GDAs mobilize the combined resources of participating partners to stimulate economic growth, develop businesses and workforces, address health and environmental issues, and expand access to education and technology. Alliances are co-designed, co-managed and co-funded so that the risks, responsibilities, and rewards are equally shared amongst the partners.
Albania applied for European Union (EU) membership on 28 April 2009, and has since June 2014 been an official candidate for accession to the EU, and is on the current agenda for future enlargement of the EU. Albania is currently receiving €1.2bn of developmental aid until 2020 from the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance, a funding mechanism for EU candidate countries.
The accession of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the European Union is the stated aim of the present relations between the two entities. Bosnia and Herzegovina has been recognised by the EU as a "potential candidate country" for accession since the decision of the European Council in Thessaloniki in 2003 and is on the current agenda for future enlargement of the EU. Bosnia and Herzegovina takes part in the Stabilisation and Association Process and trade relations are regulated by an Interim Agreement.
Accession of Montenegro to the European Union (EU) is on the current agenda for future enlargement of the EU.
Balkan Insight is a website of the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN), that focuses on news, analysis, commentary and investigative reporting from southeast Europe. It is run by journalists in southeast Europe—the Balkans—including BIRN regional director Gordana Igric, an international award-winner for her reporting on human rights abuses and war crimes.
Serbia–United States relations are bilateral relations between the Republic of Serbia and the United States of America. They were first established in 1882 with the Kingdom of Serbia. From 1918 to 2006, the United States maintained relations with the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, of which Serbia is considered the legal successor.
The Accession of Kosovo to the European Union (EU) is on the current agenda for future enlargement of the EU. Kosovo is recognized by the EU as a potential candidate for accession.
The Robert Bosch Foundation Fellowship Program was established in 1984 to promote closer US-German ties. It is fully funded by Robert Bosch Foundation, one of the largest foundations in Germany.
SEAF is an international investment management group that provides growth capital and business assistance to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in emerging and transition markets underserved by traditional sources of capital.
Kosovo is situated in south-eastern Europe. With its central position in the Balkans, it serves as a link in the connection between central and south Europe, the Adriatic Sea, and Black Sea. Tourism in Kosovo is characterized by archaeological heritage from Illyrian, Dardanian, Roman, Byzantine, Serbian and Ottoman times, traditional Albanian and Serbian cuisine, architecture, religious heritage, traditions, and natural landscapes.
European Western Balkans is a web portal that focuses on the Western Balkans countries and reports on development of the European Union's enlargement policy towards the states of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo.
The 2015 Western Balkans Summit was the second annual summit of heads of states and governments of Western Balkans. It took place in the Vienna, Austria, following the 2014 Conference of Western Balkan States that took place in Berlin, Germany. This summit forms part of the Berlin Process, a five-year process marked by yearly summits in order to underline the commitment to Future enlargement of the European Union towards the Western Balkans region. Official date of summit is 27 of August 2015. After 2014 conference Günther Oettinger confirmed that the event will be organised annually with Vienna as a host city in 2015 and Paris in 2016.
The Berlin Process is a diplomatic initiative linked to the future enlargement of the European Union. It started with the 2014 Conference of Western Balkan States, Berlin, followed by the 2015 Vienna Summit, 2016 Paris Summit and the 2017 Trieste Summit. The last conference was held in July 2018 in London. The Berlin Process was initiated in order to consolidate and keep the dynamics in EU integration process in the light of increased euroscepticism and 5-year stoppage of expansion announced by Commission President Jean Claude Juncker.
The 2017 Western Balkans Summit in Trieste, Italy was the fourth annual summit within the Berlin Process initiative for European integration of Western Balkans states. Previous summits took place in Berlin in 2014, Vienna in 2015 and in Paris in 2016. Heads of government, foreign ministers and the ministers of economy of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, as well as EU member states from the region Croatia, Slovenia and EU member states Austria, France, Germany, Italy as well as representatives of the European Union and the International Financial Institutions attended. Participants once again committed the Western Balkan's eventual path into the EU and agreed the next Berlin Process Summit would take place in London.
The European Fund for the Balkans is a foundation based in Belgrade. It was founded in 2008 as a joint initiative by the Robert Bosch Stiftung, the ERSTE Foundation, the King Baudouin Foundation and the Compagnia di San Paolo in order to support countries from the former Yugoslavia during their EU association process.
