The 5th Forum of the EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR) took place in Belgrade (Serbia) on 28-29 January 2021, under the slogan “Strengthening the resilience of the Adriatic and Ionian Region through cooperation“.

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak and concerns regarding the situation during this year, the 5th EUSAIR Forum has been organized as an online event.

The Forum brought together Ministers in charge of Foreign Affairs and European Funds, officials of the European Commission, relevant stakeholders and general public to take part in discussing the future of the Strategy and its role in addressing the key issues in our region.

The annual event also aimed at raising the visibility of the EUSAIR and reflect on the significant progress made in the last year within the Strategy.

Cooperation is a central concept for the post-2020 programming period. This COVID-19 pandemic appears more and more as a disruptive and changing crisis. It has become therefore even more important to join our forces and to try to find common solutions to the generational challenges.

The plenary and thematic sessions focused on the digital and green transition, the regional response to the COVID-19 crisis, macro-regional cooperation in relation to the EU post-2020 strategic and legal framework, the new methodology for enlargement and the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans, as well as the recovery of the cultural and creative industries in the region.

More information related to the EUSAIR FORUM can be found at the following link: https://www.adriatic-ionian.eu/event/5th-eusair-annual-forum/

Within the larger framework of the V EUSAIR Forum, the AII Slovenian Chairmanship in cooperation with the AII Permanent Secretariat and the Fora of Civil Society (Chambers of Commerce, Cities and Universities) organized three online Side-Events which took place on January 27th and 29th 2021.

The Round Tables analysed and discussed the impact of Covid-19 on three main topics: crisis management and marketing communication, women's entrepreneurship, innovation and robotics for the preservation of natural resources.

You can find the reports of the event at the following links:

  1. “Crisis management and marketing communication during Covid-19" Focus on Bosnia-Herzegovina and Albania- 27th January 2021
  2. “Preservation of Natural resources, Innovation and Robotics for the development of the economy in the Adriatic-Ionian Region”- 27th January 2021
  3. “COVID-19 pandemic – imposed catalyst for Women’s Entrepreneurship progress in the Adriatic and Ionian Region?”- 29th January 2021