Europe

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.

During its excursion to the cities of Nuremberg and Munich, participants in the fifth International Diplomats Programme had the opportunity to discuss a range of subjects, from Germany’s dual system of vocational training, which has become an attractive German export model, to the country’s current migration and integration policy – and, of course, the significance of the historic Nuremberg Trials for international jurisdiction today.

Dondua erläuterte auf Einladung des Berthold-Beitz-Zentrums den Stand des Reformprozesses in dem südkaukasischen Land und die sicherheits- und wirtschaftspolitischen Ziele Georgiens. Er unterstrich, dass die Integration in EU und NATO für Tiflis weiter hohe Priorität genießt und verwies auf die Beiträge seines Landes zu den jüngsten NATO-Missionen. Die EU diene als Vorbild, um die kaukasischen Konflikte zu lösen. Das Verhältnis zu Russland bleibe jedoch wegen der Grenzstreitigkeiten gespannt.