Seventh Regional Task Force meeting Unresolved issues and new state actors in the region June 13-14, 2019 Hotel Marriott, Sarajevo

On behalf of the International Republican Institute and as a member of the Regional Task Force working group, we took a part in the Seventh Regional Task Force meeting “Unresolved issues and new state actors in the region” on June 13-14, 2019 Hotel Marriott, Sarajevo

The first day 13th of June we talked about:

1. Task Force’s new strategic approach – country interventions and shift of focus
2. Tracing the women and children of ISIS foreign fighters – challenges and approaches to their reintegration in Kosovo and BiH
3. IRI’s 2019 BiH poll: Public opinion on foreign influence and violent extremism – presentation of results and 3-year trend analysis
4. The Belt and Road Initiative – an opportunity or a trap for Western Balkans?

The second day 14th of June we talked about:

1. Programming overview: Strategic goals and objectives of country-specific interventions by Task Force working groups
2. Working group brainstorming session
3. Plenary discussion – Outline of proposed activities and next steps