Europe

In a ceremony, Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg and German Bundestag President Norbert Lammert, alongside representatives of the bilateral project, acknowledged the connections between the two countries. Since the German-Czech Declaration was signed in 1997 considerable progress has been made. Members of the younger generation presented their cross-border projects and, in doing so, showed how much headway has been made in promoting relations between the two neighbors.

The Western Balkans have always stood at the crossroads of diverse cultures and ethnicities. The tour’s participants saw vibrant cities and met with many active NGOs but also encountered societies whose war wounds are far from healed. Croatia, Serbia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina still have work ahead of them – in the fight against corruption, in economic development, and in ethnic reconciliation. As the tour heard again and again, the most significant motor of change is the EU accession process.

Former program participants of the Diplomatenkolleg convened in Romania this May for their sixth alumni meeting. In the capital Bucharest and the Transylvanian city of Sibiu, alumni had the opportunity to renew their contacts with each other and meet participants from other years. The group also gained deep insight into Romania’s politics, culture, and economy.