Europe

Röttgen, who chairs the Bundestag’s committee on foreign relations, identified three major upheavals that are threatening stability in the world today: the Ukraine-Russia conflict, the collapse of states in North Africa, and the internal erosion of EU unity. These are the greatest challenges for German – and European – foreign policy, said the CDU politician. His speech was given to mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the DGAP. Audio file below (in German).

Prime Minister Milo Đukanović of Montenegro addressed the DGAP on May 7. Since its successful referendum for independence of 2006, Montenegro has sought to establish itself as an independent state in the Western Balkans. Its efforts to obtain membership in NATO and the EU show its clearly pro-European orientation. What does the country hope for in terms of Euro-Atlantic integration? What problems are to be encountered along the way? A short interview.

Welche Politik soll die Östliche Partnerschaft der EU bezüglich der sechs Zielländer zukünftigentwickeln? Welche Konsequenzen müssen für diese Region aus der Ukraine- und Russlandkrise gezogen werden? Im Vorfeld des ÖP-Gipfeltreffensvom21. bis 22. Mai 2015 in Riga wurde deren bisherige Entwicklung auf den Prüfstand gestellt. Auf Einladung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Auswärtige Politik (DGAP) und des European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) diskutierten Entscheidungsträger und Experten aus der EU und den ÖP-Ländern über Perspektiven der EU-Nachbarschaftspolitik.

Strengthening democratic institutions in the EU accession process is the focus of this year’s TRAIN programme. The 12 participating think tank representatives from Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia met for the first time from April 19–22, 2015 to discuss their research projects and jointly develop strategies for effective participation in the national and European policy dialogue.