Lords committee to hold sessions on politics and security in the Western Balkans
Tuesday 24 October
Tomorrow, Wednesday 25 October 2023, the House of Lords International Relations and Defence Committee will hear from former British Ambassadors to the Western Balkans and academic experts about political and security developments in the region. This is part of the Committee’s short inquiry that will scrutinise the UK Government’s commitment to “step up engagement with…the Western Balkans…to boost their prosperity, security and resilience to Russian interference”, as set out in the 2023 Integrated Review Refresh.
The sessions will start at 10:35am and will be available to watch live or on demand at Parliament TV, or attend in person in Committee Room 3, Palace of Westminster.
Giving evidence will be:
10.35am
- Sian MacLeod, British Ambassador to the Republic of Serbia (2019-2023), Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office and;
- Ian Cliff, British Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina (2001-2005) and Kosovo (2011-2015), Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office.
11.30am
- Professor Jasna Dragovic-Soso, Professor of International Politics and History, Goldsmiths, University of London
- Dr Jessie Barton Hronesova, Lecturer in Political Sociology at the School of Slavonic and East European Studies, University College, London and;
- Professor James Ker-Lindsay, Visiting Professor, LSEE Research on South-Eastern Europe, The London School of Economics and Political Science.
Questions will include:
- What events have led to the recent escalation in tensions between Serbia and Kosovo, and increased instability within Bosnia and Herzegovina? Was this predictable and preventable, or are we witnessing new dynamics?
- Will the recent instability affect progress towards resolving legacy issues such as prosecuting for war crimes and achieving justice for victims of conflict-related sexual violence?
- What influence does the UK have in the region, and what role should it play? To what extent has the UK’s policy towards the Western Balkans changed since the UK left the EU?
- How realistic is the prospect of the normalisation of relations between Serbia and Kosovo, and what would be required to achieve this?
- What is Russia’s strategy in the region and what are the limits of its influence?
