On February 24, just weeks before the recent escalation of fighting in the former Yugoslavia, CIPE sponsored a roundtable discussion with representatives of three CIPE partner organizations in the Balkan region. The panel consisted of Dr. Ognion Shentov, President of the Center for the Study of Democracy (Bulgaria), Dr. Zef Preci, President of the Albanian Center for Economic Research, and Danijel Pantic, Deputy Secretary General, European Movement in Serbia, in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
Together with a high-caliber audience at CIPE, the three Balkan organization leaders wrestled with some of the key issues facing the region, particularly the obstacles to economic reform, the ever-changing situation in Kosovo, and the vital role to be played by non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
There was general consensus that the level of direct foreign investment plays a vital role in reform efforts and that the situation in Kosovo is hindering the flow of investment to the area. Shentov noted that the deteriorating situation there has been spilling over to other parts of the region. He pointed out, "If you have instability, no foreign direct investment is going to go there, except in fragmented, relatively small markets." Preci concurred, describing the movement of foreign investors and domestic capitalists out of his country. "Albania is risking going from one crisis to another," he noted. "There is no economic or political stability." On the positive side, he said, the Government of Albania has established a government agency to insure foreign investments and has made some progress in putting more effective legal frameworks in place for privatization strategies, a customs code, and civil service reform.
The panel also discussed the role of NGOs in the region in combating corruption and implementing reforms. In Bulgaria, CIPE has partnered with the NGO community to form Coalition 2000, which has received praise from international leaders for its work. (See Overseas Report #1 of July/ August 1998.)
Across the region, the panel agreed, NGOs play an important role in breaking down barriers both internally and between countries. Preci noted that NGOs have been consolidating to improve their effectiveness, increase independent research, and focus on public policies "with a clearer lens."
"I would agree with my Albanian colleague," said Pantic, the Serbian representative. "The future of the region is in upgrading cooperation between countries and their general inclusion in the process of European and Euro-Atlantic structures."