EU policy of conditioning is a major stimulus for regional security cooperation - See more at: http://www.bezbednost.org/BCSP-News/5379/EU-policy-of-conditioning-is-a-major-stimulus-for.shtml#sthash.bu2RaA0R.dpuf

Regional conference in Skopje has brought together think tanks from Macedonia, Albania, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro and Croatia. External factors, primarily EU policy of conditioning, play a key role in fostering regional security cooperation, it was concluded during the introductory panel of the regional conference “Security Transitions in the Western Balkans: From Conflict Zone to Security Community?” organized on 19. December 2013. in Skopje. During the discussion on the success of police cooperation in the Western Balkans it was stated that international actors play a positive role, but that it is also important that there are internal factors which will encourage collaboration. It was pointed out that the common problems, such as transnational crime, require joint solutions, i.e. cooperation. The panelists also pointed out that it is impossible to think about national security, without thinking about regional security. As the biggest success of regional security cooperation it was stated the fact that the possibility of a new armed conflict practically does not exist, but the question remains whether regional cooperation is sustainable and whether it will exist when there will not be any external pressure (EU conditioning). "The region is divided into two sub-regions, one is a former Yugosphere and the other is Albanian part", said BCSP Director Sonja Stojanovic Gajic. Speakers agreed that encouraging cooperation in the region should be a priority in the future. It was pointed out that the situation in the field indicates that informal interactions exist between these two spheres, for example between the Macedonian and Albanian police, especially at the border. It was also stated that the normative framework of cooperation is necessary but not sufficient for good cooperation and that informal forms of cooperation between members of the security institutions are necessary and that they are a positive indicator. Participants of the first panel, besides BCSP director were Cvete Koneska (Analytica from Skopje), Sandro Knezović (Institute for Development and International Relations IRMO from Zagreb), Donika Emini (Kosovo Centre for Security Studies KCSS from Pristina) and Dženita Brčvak (Centre for Democracy and Human Rights CEDEM from Podgorica - See more at: http://www.bezbednost.org/BCSP-News/5379/EU-policy-of-conditioning-is-a-major-stimulus-for.shtml#sthash.bu2RaA0R.dpuf