Disclaimer: The research for and production of this report has been conducted within the PROGRESS research framework agreement. Responsibility for the contents and for the opinions expressed, rests solely with the authors and does not constitute, nor should be construed as, an endorsement by the Netherlands Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defence.

About the authors

Bob Deen is Coordinator of the Clingendael Russia and Eastern Europe Centre (CREEC) and Senior Research Fellow of the Security Unit of the Clingendael Institute. His research focuses on international security issues and multilateral cooperation, with a particular focus on Eastern Europe, Russia, the Caucasus and Central Asia.

Wouter Zweers is a Research Fellow at the EU & Global Affairs Unit of the Clingendael Institute. His research revolves around the external dimension of EU policymaking with a specific focus on the Western Balkans and Eastern Partnership regions. He coordinates Clingendael’s ‘Balkans Hub’, a project in which Clingendael engages with think tanks from the Western Balkans in joint research and events.

Photo credits

© Colby Gottert for USAID / Digital Development Communications