INVITATION
Dear friends and colleagues,
The Center for Strategic Research “Ksente Bogoev” of the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts
ECPD Regional Institute for Development Studies (RIDS) Skopje of University
for Peace, established by the UN, and
The Diplomatic Club – Skopje
are honored to invite You a roundtable discussion titled:
“The Geopolitical Landscape and the EU Enlargement: Prospects for North Macedonia and Other Western Balkans Candidate Countries”.
This important event will take place on June 26, 2025, at the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts (program enclosed).
The roundtable aims to address the current geopolitical climate and the way it is shaping EU enlargement policy. We will examine how shifts in global power dynamics are poised and hoe it could transform the EU integration process. As the EU emphasizes enlargement as a geo-strategic investment in peace, security, stability, and prosperity, we will scrutinize this narrative’s real-world implications, particularly for North Macedonia and other candidate countries in the Western Balkans. The roundtable will be structured into two sessions focusing on the following critical topics:
Session I
- The significant impact of the geopolitical landscape, including changes in US and US foreign policy, regional conflicts and instability, the prospects for concluding the war in Ukraine, hotspots in the Western Balkans, and the rising influence of non-EU powers like Russia and China, on EU enlargement policy. The way these shifts in global power dynamics will likely reshape the future of EU enlargement. The impact of geostrategic changes on international trade and capital flows and the problem of possibilities of rise in global and national defense spending. Geopolitical changes can also influence the migration flows in the worldand regional conflicts.
- To what extent the EU’s narrative regarding enlargement as a geo-strategic investment in peace, security, stability, and prosperity translates into tangible actions, especially concerning North Macedonia and other Western Balkans candidates.
- How the EU can effectively balance the ambitions of enlargement with internal challenges, including defense and security considerations, member state hesitations and opposition, economic disparities, governance issues, and the increasing tide of Euro-pessimism.
Session II
- How viable are the EU’s ambitions to assume the role of a geopolitical actor under present circumstances? What are the strategic implications of enlargement for the EU’s geopolitical presence, stability, and security in Europe?
- The geopolitical context of North Macedonia and the Western Balkans region, as well as the significance of EU integration for regional stability and development.
- The strategic determination of North Macedonia for EU membership, the current status of EU accession negotiations (including socio-political, economic, rule of law, and neighborly challenges), and potential pathways forward. Whether the new European Commission’s approach to gradual integration can serve as a viable transitional solution?
This roundtable will be a significant forum for advancing meaningful discussions on the prospects for North Macedonia and the other candidate countries within the framework of EU enlargement. Your participation is essential to shape this critical dialogue.
Working language of the roundtable are Macedonian and English, no translation is provided. The event will be open to media coverage. Entrance to the venue is restricted to registered attendees only.
RSVP by email to contact@diplomatskiklub.org.mk or nikopop@yahoo.com at the latest by June 24, 2025.
Academic Taki Fiti, Head of the Center for Strategic Research “Ksente Bogoev”, MANU
Prof. d-r Nikola Popovski, Dean of the ECPD RIDS Skopje, of University for Peace, established by the UN
Ambassador Jovan Tegovski, President of the Diplomatic Club – Skopje
