The European Council on Foreign Relations, the Ministry of Foregn affaires of Bulgaria and the Sofia Platform have announced an International consultation with think-tank representatives in the framework of EU’s Global Foreign Policy Strategy Review in Sofia on the 23 of July. In 2015 we face a Europe that is “more connected, more contested and more complex”, but the reality remains that Europe needs to take care of its neighbourhood first and foremost, not only for the sake of its own security but also for the sake of paying its dues to the transatlantic partnership. Following this rationale, the Western Balkans, Turkey and the Eastern Neighbourhoods should be in the core of the review. In order to contribute to the process, ECFR and Sofia Platform are jointly hosting think tanks from the neighbouring regions, in order to feed into the review process of the Global Foreign Policy Strategy. The review process needs to provide for two things. Firstly, it should show the reasons why the time to act is now and demonstrate how failure to do so will entail irreversible loss on the side of the EU. Secondly, it must manage a consensus that will bring member states and institutions together in a strategic framework with concrete actions to implement in relations to the Western Balkans and the Eastern Neighborhood. More information is available here.
[Sofia Platform]