New Security Agenda for the Balkans

The Program was focused on the factors constitutive of the new security environment in the Balkan region after the collapse of Milosevic’s dictatorial rule, as well as, on the impact of this situation on Bulgaria’s regional and transatlantic policy.
The Program had one major goal: to discuss the issues in the region as security issues, determine their exact place in a broad security framework for the region and, thereby, advance a set of policy recommendations. For example, CLS was convinced that economic growth is unsustainable without a secure environment.
The main program objectives:

participation in the formulation of a new Security Agenda for the region;
mobilization of public support for the policy of regional integration;
participation in the election debate on the future priorities of the Bulgarian foreign and security policy;
informing Bulgarian public on the foreign policy priorities of the new US Administration.

The major problem fields in the area of primary interest to CLS, which is the Balkan region, were as follows: Changes and problems of change in post-Milosevic Yugoslavia; Transborder criminalization; Corruption in politics; Relations between the region and EU and US. CLS responded to that problematic by concentrating research and policy promotion effort in four principal directions: Tracking Yugoslavia; Politically monitoring general elections in Bulgaria; Working on better relations between US and Bulgaria; Monitoring the EU accession process for the whole region.
The approach of the Centre was to treat all new issues in the region first and foremost as security issues. Incidentally, that frame of mind enabled the Centre to react quickly after the September 11 attacks.

Period: April 2001 - April 2002

Coordinators: Iva Krastev

Financing Organisations: German Marshal Fund of the United States