What should we make of the growing geopolitical interplay between Turkey, Israel, the UAE and the Balkans?
The list of non-Western powers who have engaged with the Balkans does not end with Russia and China. Turkey has upped the ante on its Balkan policy, returning to what used to be the European territories of the Ottoman Empire. Besides Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Israel have also boosted their ties with the Balkans.
Our panellists will discuss what strategic considerations guide the foreign policies of these three geopolitical players in the Balkans, what benefits the local nations expect to gain when engaging these countries, and the growing geopolitical interplay between the Balkans and the Middle East.
Dimitar Bechev is a Visiting Fellow at the Institute of Human Sciences in Vienna. He is an Adjunct Professor in European Studies and International Relations at the University of Sofia.
Tena Prelec is a Research Fellow at the Department of Politics and International Relations (DPIR), University of Oxford, and a Research Associate at LSEE-Research on South Eastern Europe, LSE.
Vuk Vuksanovic is a PhD researcher in international relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), an associate of LSE IDEAS, and a researcher at the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy (BCSP).
Christopher Coker is Director of LSE IDEAS.
20:20 Visions: conversations on the future of democracy is a series of online discussions on current challenges to democracy faced by Central and Eastern Europe, hosted by LSE IDEAS and the Ratiu Forum.
This LSE IDEAS and Ratiu Forum event is being held in partnership with the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy.
LSE IDEAS (@lseideas) is LSE's foreign policy think tank. We connect academic knowledge of diplomacy and strategy with the people who use it.
The Belgrade Centre for Security Policy (BCSP) is an independent think tank that contributes to advancing the security of people in accordance with democratic principles and respect for human rights through research, public advocacy, community development and education. BCSP`s overall goal is contribution to the creation of democratic society and accountable institutions where security is a public good and citizens are free, equal and free of fear. BCSP conducts its activities within three strategic pillars – Serbian security policy, challenges, risks and threats and foreign policy.
The event image used is of Porto Montenegro in Tivat, Montenegro. It was taken by Daniel Nyul.