The Balkan Mosaic

The Central and South European Security Forum, known as the Balkan Mosaic was established at the 50th General Assembly for the Atlantic Treaty Association (ATA) in Rome on December 2 2004. The project was a key dimension in the proactive agenda of the newly elected ATA leadership under ATA President, Ambassador Robert Hunter and Secretary General Troels Froling, and had from the start financial support from the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The network has since its commencement focused on three main components: the establishment of a strong NGO network; a Future Leaders' Network; and an institutionalised cooperation among research institutes.

At the first Sofia meeting in Bulgaria on 18. February 2005, the participants identified a set of priorities for the Western Balkans. These eight principles, knows as the Sofia Declaration, have become the cornerstone of all the work conducted within the Balkan Mosaic.

The regional security strategy and the Sofia declaration formed the basis for taking the aim of the project to a new level of impact. The goal was to use the foundation created to reach out to decision makers, media and of course the general public, to ensure the implementation of, and further commitment to, the policy recommendations set out in the various reports of the Balkan Mosaic.

The network aims to continue to contribute to making serious progress in the region's efforts towards Euro-Atlantic integration as well as securing the development of a stable, prosperous and well-functioning Western Balkan.

NAC terminated funding of the network in 2010, but remains active in the Balkans through the AAYPL.

Download the ”Regional Security - Strategy from the Perspective of the Civil Society” here.