What question did this study set out to answer?

This research aims to analyze the geopolitical landscape of the Western Balkans and the potential for beneficial international relationships.

January 19, 2023

The Western Balkans and Geopolitics: Leveraging the European Union and China

Key Points

This research aims to analyze the geopolitical landscape of the Western Balkans and the potential for beneficial international relationships.
Literature review on the geopolitical influences in the Western Balkans, focusing on EU and Chinese engagements.
Analysis of infrastructure projects initiated by China and their implications for EU integration and regional politics.
China's infrastructure investments are viewed as both beneficial and controversial among local citizens.
The EU's strict accession criteria may hinder the Western Balkans' progress towards integration, affecting local perceptions.
The presence of other geopolitical players, such as Turkey and Russia, complicates the dynamic in the region.

Abstract

The European Union (EU) is the dominant political and economic influence in the Western Balkan (WB) region, but in the view of many of the region’s citizens, EU integration is associated with strict and painful convergence criteria and burdensome reforms as well as the inertia of unfulfilled accession requirements. China’s involvement in the region is focused mainly on much-needed but controversial infrastructure investments; accordingly, it has attracted increasing international attention over the past decade. At the same time, Turkey, the Arab States, and Russia have also shown heightened interest in the region. This paper addresses the important geopolitical question of whether a mutually-beneficial relationship for all participants is possible.

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