Security Transitions in Western Balkans: from Conflict Zone to Security Community?

This project, looking at the larger framework of transformation of the Western Balkans, will examine strategic priorities of the Western Balkans region, by studying how the processes of democracy-building and institution-building and regional cooperation contribute to the region’s transformation from a conflict zone towards a security community. The project is designed to respond to four tracks of research:

1. 1. Security policy change since 2000 (examining the evolution of the Western Balkans states’ security policies),
   2. Regional identity and national identity change (looking at the link between construction of the national identities and regional cooperation),
   3. European enlargement and security policies (looking at the NATO and the EU influence on Western Balkans regional dynamics),
   4. Theory development and methodology (researching security communities at the theoretical level).

The project is to be implemented through cooperation of Norwegian Institute for International Politics (NUPI) and the Western Balkans Think-Tank Consortium which is consisted of six think-tanks from the region which are already cooperating with IMO on the project “Civil Society Capacity Building to Map and Monitor Security Sector in the Western Balkans”.