Lords to consider the role of Russia, Turkey and China in the Western Balkans
Academics and analysts will give evidence to the House of Lords International Relations Committee on Wednesday 11 October as part of its inquiry Beyond Brexit: the UK and the Balkans. The session will consider the geopolitics of the region, considering the role of Russia, Turkey and China.
The witnesses are:
- Laza Kekic, former Economist Intelligence Unit and independent analyst
- Dr Jarosław Wiśniewski, Visiting Fellow, LSE
- Timothy Less, Director, Nova Europa
- Dr Michael Taylor, Senior Analyst, Oxford Analytica
- Michal Makocki, formerly of EUISS and Mercator Institute for China Studies
The evidence session will begin at 10:30am in Committee Room 4. The questions are likely to cover topics including:
- The impact of economic investment from China and Turkey in the Balkans, and the effect on efforts to combat corruption in the region
- How the Western Balkans fit into China's economic and political strategy
- Whether Russian political influence in the region has been overestimated
- What Turkey's strategic intent in the region is, and how Turkey is perceived in the region
- How effective the Western Balkans Summit is and how can the UK add particular value when it hosts the Summit next year
