RUSSIA IN THE BALKANS
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Date
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13 March 2015
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Venue
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The Shaw Library, Old Building, LSE campus
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Time
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9:15 - 17:30
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Speakers
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See below
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Hosted by
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Dr James Ker-Lindsay – London School of Economics and Political Science, LSEE
Dr Dimitar Bechev – London School of Economics and Political Science, LSEE
Dr Othon Anasthasakis – University of Oxford, SEESOX
Conference booklet and programme
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One-day conference co-organised by LSEE – Research on Southeast Europe and South East European Studies at Oxford (SEESOX), University of Oxford.
We are grateful to NATO for the partial conference support provided.
Read the Conference Report here.
Introduction and Opening Address
Panel I: The Balkans in Russia's Foreign Policy Strategy
Welcome:
Dr James Ker-Lindsay
London School of Economics and Political Science
Dr Dimitar Bechev
London School of Economics and Political Science
Dr Othon Anastasakis
Oxford University
Opening address:
Mr Andrew Rasbash
DG European Neighbourhood and Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, European Commission
Chair (Panel I):
Professor Roy Allison, Oxford University
Konstantin Von Eggert, Kommersant FM
Dr Dimitar Bechev, London School of Economics and Political Science
Dr Spyros Economides, London School of Economics and Political Science
VIDEO
Panel II: Russia and Conflict Resolution in the Balkans
Chair:
Dr James Ker-Lindsay, London School of Economics and Political Science
Dr Nikolay Petrov, Carnegie Moscow
Dr Cvete Koneska, Control Risks
VIDEO
Panel III: The Economic Dimension
Chair:
Dr Dimitar Bechev, London School of Economics and Political Science
Mr Laza Kekic, Independent consultant and analyst
Mr Nicolaus Petri, Advisor to L1 Energy
Mr Andrei Tarnea, Aspen Institute Romania
Dr Adnan Vatansever, King's College
VIDEO
Disclaimer: this video had to be kept in lower quality to allow for the smooth operation of the webcast.
Panel IV: Russian Soft Power; Wrap-up Session
Chair:
Dr Tomila Lankina, LSE
Mr Kyril Drezov, Keele University
Ms Jelena Milic, Centre for Euro-Atlantic Studies (CEAS)
Mr Dusan Spasojevic, former Deputy Defence Minister of Serbia
VIDEO
Disclaimer: this video had to be kept in lower quality to allow for the smooth operation of the webcast.
Event Summary
The hero’s welcome given to Vladimir Putin in Belgrade during the state festivities to mark the 70th anniversary of the city’s liberation from Nazi German occupation underscored, once more, Russia’s growing prominence in Balkan politics. Compared to the 1990s, when it was more often a bystander than a mover and shaker in the region, Moscow now plays an important role across various fields: energy, as the most critical supplier of gas; conflict resolution, thanks to its permanent seat in the UN Security Council; society and culture, owing to the historical links with South Slavic nations. But unlike its “near abroad”, Russia does not oppose the Balkans’ integration into the EU – partly because of its limited capacity to block the process, partly because it welcomes the prospects of EU bringing in friendly countries such as Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia and others. That logic was amplified by the crisis in Ukraine when a number of EU hopefuls in the region have refused to join Western sanctions against Russia.
The aim of the conference was to take a nuanced, analytical perspective at Russia’s role, exploring the major projects and cooperation initiatives undertaken with local governments, and to map bilateral links with the countries of the region (primarily the Western Balkans but also wider South East Europe, which includes EU members such as Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Slovenia and Croatia) in the broader context of Moscow’s tangled relations with the West since the beginning of Putin’s third term as president.