Policy study “Western Balkans: New Alliances, Old Suspicions”, written by ISAC Fund’s Marko Savkovic is now available for download.
The study covers four key processes: the rise of defiance expenditures across the Western Balkans; the emergence of new regional initiatives and bilateral arrangements, such as the Tirana Declaration and the Serbia–Hungary defense cooperation agreement; the persistent lack of trust among regional actors; and the resulting security dilemma.
Particular attention is devoted to arms procurement, NATO’s requirements (including the proposed 5% GDP defense spending target by 2035) and EU initiatives (‘Defense Readiness’ and SAFE), as well as the long‑standing issue of limited transparency.
Three scenarios for the region are elaborated – ‘integration’, ‘fragmentation’, and ‘controlled competition’ – together with policy recommendations.
This publication was prepared within the framework of the project “Emerging Security Alliances in the Western Balkans: Impact on Regional Security and Stability” implemented by the ISAC Fund, with the support of the Embassy of Canada to Serbia, Montenegro and North Macedonia through the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives. The content of this article is the sole responsibility of the ISAC Fund and can in no way be considered to reflect the views of the Embassy of Canada to Serbia, North Macedonia and Montenegro.