Ministerial Meeting of the Western Balkans Steering Platforms on Culture & Research and Innovation & Education and Training, 27 – 28 June 2022, Tirana

Description:
2022 marked the 16^th anniversary of the establishment of the Western Balkans Steering Platform on Research and Innovation. It meets annually at Ministerial level and aims at supporting the enhanced integration of the Western Balkans into the European Research Area. It is a strategic body to deal with European, multilateral and regional issues of Research and Innovation policies in and with the Western Balkans. It also acts as an information exchange forum where the latest national developments in a given field are presented, discussed and best practices are exchanged.
In cooperation with the Ministries of Education of the Western Balkans, the Commission launched in 2011 the Western Balkans Platform on Education and Training which had its first Ministerial meeting on 7 March 2012. Its objectives are to support the transition for the candidate countries, and to better prepare the potential candidates in the region, for their eventual participation in European Union policies and programmes on education and training. The Ministerial Platform meetings, which convene the Ministers responsible for education in the region and their main staff, decide on spin-off activities and follow-up measures to be taken.
Celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Western Balkans Platform on Education and Training, a Western Balkan Platform on Culture is officially launched on 27 June 2022 during the Ministerial event. The establishment of this additional Platform will foster cultural cooperation and policy dialogue and will help unlock the potential of culture and creativity for sustainable social and economic development in the Western Balkans region.

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In 2022, once again, the joint Ministerial Meeting of the Western Balkans Platforms brought together key stakeholders from the European Union and the Western Balkans in an exchange forum. At this meeting, Mariya Gabriel, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, and the relevant Western Balkans’ Ministers discussed the Western Balkans Agenda on Innovation, Research, Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, the concrete impacts already delivered across the region and policy issues of common concern.

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Articles published on former WB Info Hub website: