The ‘Cooperation Instrument for the Western Balkans Think Tanks – THINK BALKANS’ project is supported by the International Visegrad Fund and builds upon the previously established cooperation between the members of the Southeast European Think Net Network (SEE Think Net) and Think Visegrad as part of the ‘Regional cooperation in the Western Balkans: The Berlin Process and Visegrad Group in comparison project’.

It is network of think tanks from the Western Balkans (Think Balkans core members),  which engage in a structured dialogue on issues of strategic importance for the region in close coordination and cooperation with the respective MFAs supported in various forms by the Think Visegrad, Visegrad 4 MFAs, as well as the International Visegrad Fund, and the Western Balkans Fund. The Institute for Democracy as a project leader and core member of Think Balkans mechanism is being tasked with the responsibility to coordinate, steer and monitor Think Balkans’ work internally, as well as to represent it externally.

This project is implemented by IDSCS in coordination with the partners European Movement in Serbia (EMinS), Platforma CiviKos from Kosovo*, Politikon Network from Montenegro, Albanian Institute for International Studies (AIIS) from Albania, Humanity in Action from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Centre for European Perspective (CEP) from Slovenia, Centre for Eastern Studies from Poland (OSW), Institute for Foreign Affairs and Trade from Hungary (IFAT), the Research Centre of the Slovak Foreign Policy Association (RC SFPA) from Slovakia, and EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy (EUROPEUM) from the Czech Republic.

  1. strengthening cooperation of think tanks in V4 countries with WB think tanks / WB analytical institutions;
  2. promoting V4 cooperation among WB experts / policy makers as a successful regional model of cooperation open to the exchange of experiences with countries wishing to join the EU;
  3. providing V4 expertise on regional cooperation that can help strengthen regional cooperation in the Western Balkans, which is a key aspect of the region’s European integration;
  4. providing a new platform for strengthening links between think tanks, research centers, V4 and WB government institutions;
  5. fostering interregional cooperation between V4 and WB6 on issues of common strategic interest;
  6. use of V4 countries’ knowledge gained through the Think Visegrad platform to enhance dialogue between relevant state institutions in WB countries (eg between Ministries of Foreign Affairs, as well as between WB research centers and NGOs)

Expected results:

  1. establishing a new network for cooperation between V4 research centers, WB6 research centers and government institutions (SMEs);
  2. fostering interregional cooperation between V4 and WB6 on issues of common strategic interest;
  3. expanding V4 knowledge gained through Think Visegrad to improve dialogue between government institutions (SMEs) and think tanks in WB countries.

Main activities:

  1. Organizing study visits between WB6 research centers and civil servants in V4 capitals, including Bratislava, Budapest, Prague and Warsaw
  2. Organizing study visits between V4 research centers and civil servants in WB6 capitals, including Skopje, Pristina, Tirana and Belgrade
  3. Preparation of 4 short-term analysis on topics of common strategic interest for the V4 and WB6 countries
  4. Preparation of 3 long-term analysis on topics of common strategic interest for the V4 and WB6 countries

The project is funded by: International Visegrad Fund

Project duration: October 2020 – January 2022.