Opening

• Hansjörg Brey, Member of the Board of the Southeast Europe Association, Munich

Distinguished Speaker

• Stephanie Jacobs, Director-General for European and International Affairs, Bavarian State Chancellery

Panel Discussion

• Major General Matthew J. Van Wagenen, Deputy Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters Al-lied Powers Europe (SHAPE), Mons, Belgium
• Manuel Sarrazin, Federal Government Special Representative for the Countries of the Western Balkans, Berlin/Hamburg
• Jörn Fleck, Senior Director, Europe Center, Atlantic Council, Washington D.C.
• Christian Hagemann, Executive Director, Southeast Europe Association, Munich

Moderation

• Valbona Zeneli, Non-resident Senior Fellow, Europe Center Atlantic Council of the United States

Topic

With a new US administration and EU Commission in place, and shortly before Germany’s parliamentary elections, many of the international parameters for the Western Balkans are moving or have already changed for 2025. Our discussion will examine what should be expected when it comes to stability and secu-rity in the region, as well as for its progress on the EU accession path. Another focus will lie on the future of transatlantic engagement in the region and what the Trump presidency will mean for transatlantic burden sharing in the Western Balkans.