Balkans Monitor 1/2/2023

Vanessa Tinker

This report analyses the EU’s efforts to speed up accession talks with West Balkans states and the significance of their integration with the EU in light of Russian aggression against Ukraine. It also examines the controversies sparked by the celebration of the National Day of Republika Srpska by Bosnian Serbs and by awarding Vladimir Putin with the highest medal of honor by president of the Bosnian Serb entitiy Milorad Dodik. Moreover, the monitor addresses the issue of the continued rise of China’s influence in Western Balkans.