The Panel themed "The turbulent Balkans" was held at Bonn University, on 6 June. Apart from the moderator Professor Bodo Hombach, the event was also attended by former Foreign Minister of Macedonia and President of the UNGA Srdjan Kerim and by Consul General of Serbia to Düsseldorf Branislava Perin Jaric.

Panellists spoke about obstacles standing in the Western Balkans EU way. Consul General Perin Jaric underlined that the Western Balkan countries embarked upon the painful course of reforms, with faith in a future within the EU, and that they were today at different stages of European integration but that it was also clear, having in mind the financial and trade relations, geographic position and political cooperation, that the WB had become part of the EU system long ago.



She emphasized that the WB countries should now take advantage of the opportunities given by the so-called Berlin Process and the European Strategy of the EC outlined in February this year, pointing how important it was that the Brussels kept the EU membership as the realistic option in the near future.
Former UNGA President Srdjan Kerim said that notwithstanding the position that Bulgaria and Romania became EU member states too soon and that Brussels did not want to repeat the same mistake, the question was where these two states would be now in the context of their economic and democratic development if they had not become EU member states at that time.

Professor Hombach noted that arms stopped rattling in the Western Balkans 25 years ago and that the European perspective offered to the region played a significant role in that regard.