As part of the significant regional initiative, the Cetinje Forum, the Think Tank WestBalkanNet: Regional Forum for Democracy, Reconciliation, and Strategic Analyses (WBN) was introduced to the public. The promotion took place at the Cultural Center of the Old Royal Capital Cetinje, and participants emphasized the importance of this initiative for democratization, reconciliation, and strengthening Euro-Atlantic integration in the Western Balkans.
The WBN was presented by: Executive Director Boban Batrićević, former Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia (2011-2016) Vesna Pusić, former Minister of Defense of Slovenia (2013-2014) and Member of the European Parliament (2004) Roman Jakič, former Minister of Finance of Kosovo (2008-2011) and former Ambassador to Japan Ahmet Shala, Professor at Johns Hopkins University Siniša Vuković, Director of the Academy for Democratic Development in Novi Sad Balša Božović, prominent Montenegrin journalist Biljana Jovićević, and Jasmin Mujanović from the New Lines Institute in the USA.
In addition to numerous regional high-ranking officials, the promotion was attended by former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic Tomáš Petříček, Director of the renowned European foundation Forum2000 Jakub Klepal, former Minister of Energy of Bosnia and Herzegovina Rusmir Mahmutćehajić, as well as numerous representatives from public life in Montenegro and the region.
Representatives of WBN introduced the public to the mission and vision of this regional think tank, emphasizing its role in analyzing key political, social, and security challenges in the region. They highlighted that WBN could be a significant factor in the process of democratization and reconciliation, providing expert analysis and a platform for dialogue among the countries of the Western Balkans.
The founders of WBN stated that the goal of this initiative is to strengthen the ties among the countries of the region by promoting European values, stability, and security, as well as encouraging strategic discussions that will contribute to the progress of the entire Western Balkans.
The mission of WBN is to establish a network of experts, political actors, institutions, activists, and NGOs working together to promote EU practices, values, and achievements.
The vision of WBN is to foster open, reconciled, and democratic societies that are resilient to malign, subversive, and hybrid influences from non-democratic regimes, which hinder the Western Balkans’ integration into the EU.
WBN aims to achieve the following objectives through its activities:
- Build and strengthen a network of individuals and organizations focused on preserving the territorial integrity, sovereignty, constitutional order, and multinational democracy of Western Balkan countries during their EU integration.
- Provide high-quality, detailed information to political entities and organizations in the region, EU countries, and the United States to enable strategic and preventive measures against harmful influences.
- Create platforms and mechanisms to defend against territorial expansion, subversive propaganda, the abuse of religious institutions, and assimilation policies.
- Educate the public, especially youth, to foster a democratically educated society capable of critical thinking and forming opinions based on facts and objectivity.
- Implement an interdisciplinary approach to transfer knowledge and experience, supporting the development of young leaders with a proactive, visionary approach to politics and activism.
- Promote shared values and principles to reconcile societies, respect national, cultural, and religious identities, and enhance the understanding and protection of diverse communities in the region.
