Introduction

Abstract

On a recent trip to Brussels, Mirko Cvetkovic, Serbia’s prime minister, observed that ‘[r]egional cooperation is a common value shared by Serbia and the EU, so we will do everything which is possible to sup­port good and friendly regional relations and to encourage coopera­tion with neighboring countries’.¹ His rhetoric, meant to reassure his hosts about Belgrade’s forthcoming approach to shaky Bosnia and Herzegovina, is representative of a political shift in Europe’s south­east. ‘Regional cooperation’ is nowadays one of the catch phrases in the Balkans, on a par with ‘European integration’, ‘democratic consolidation’, ‘reconciliation’, and ‘economic development’. The expression is present in nearly every official speech, policy paper and media article about the area’s politics. Local diplomatic jargon abounds with barely pronounceable acronyms such as SEECP, RCC or MPFSEE. The European Union (EU) and NATO see the promotion of regional institutions as a core objective on their Balkan fringe.² Social scientists, policy analysts and the commentariat of the region discuss at length the opportunities offered to — and obstacles blocking — governments, businesses, civil society and the common people for carrying out joint projects across borders.