15 January 2009

Regional Conference: Empowering the Reconciliation Process in Western Balkans

On 15 January 2010, at the premises of the EU InfoCentre, the EU funded project “Empowering the Reconciliation Process in Western Balkans” organized a regional conference with the same title, thus marking the closure of the 10-month regional project funded by the European Union.

The Special Representative of the European Union and Head of the Delegation, Ambassador Erwan FOUÉRÉ addressed the audience, announcing the main project's findings and recommendations.

Mr. Nano RUZIN, Dean of the Faculty of political science and international relations at FON University spoke about the reconciliation in the Balkan region as a whole, while Mr. Mersel BILJALI, professor at FON University made a presentation on the reconciliation issues in the country.

Mr. Mytaher HASKUKA, representative of the UNDP Kosovo and Ms. Mevlida KUNOSIC–VLAJIC, from the NGO TALDI, Bosnia and Herzegovina presented the reconciliation issues in Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina respectively.

In the past 10 months, The Centre for Civic Initiative from Prilep worked closely with partners from Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina to identify new reconciliation tools to support the governments at central and local level, in order to prevent possible conflict situations.

The main objective of this project, funded through the Instrument for Stability, was to improve interethnic relations in Western Balkan countries as the most important development factor.

The project resulted in the creation of a reconciliation mechanism and recommendations developed through a vast consultation process with UNDP experts, representatives of political parties, NGOs and representatives from the Ministries of Education of the three targeted countries: former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina.