The Atlantic Council of Montenegro presents the second Western Balkan Security Report as a comprehensive overview of the geopolitical environment and security challenges that concern national, regional, and global security, and have strong implications for the Western Balkan region. The report aims to further stimulate the discussion on the key elements of the security situation in the Western Balkans and to see how different global geopolitical challenges are reflected in the region. The report is also an introduction to the annual 2BS Forum conference organized by the Atlantic Council of Montenegro, where numerous security issues identified in this publication will be discussed.

We are witnessing how the security challenges in the world and the region are building up into a growing wave of crises that reinforce each other. In the conditions of war in Europe and the threat of a major military conflict, the Atlantic Council of Montenegro, with its 16-year experience, considers it necessary to create a report that focuses on the analysis of the Western Balkans, as a region that has found itself at the center of growing geopolitical competition and where once again the interests of various external actors manifest and collide, and by expanding their influence, they seek to achieve their geopolitical aspirations. The Report analyzes geopolitical circumstances and global power changes, the effects of the war in Ukraine, the role and importance of NATO due to new and growing security challenges that inevitably affect the Western Balkan region, then the role of the EU and the perspective of membership, as well as the presence, influence, and role of non-democratic external actors (countries) in this region. Also, compared to last year’s edition, the Report provides an overview and analyzes the changed political, security, and economic conditions in each of the six countries in the Western Balkans.

Finally, the Report offers an overview of specific recommendations for both regional and Western decision-makers in order to create a common vision of the region based on support for reforms and concrete results that should ultimately contribute to the stability, security, and economic development of the Western Balkans.

The complete report can be found and downloaded HERE.