Garčević Joins Panel to Discuss Russian Influence in the Balkans
On March 10, 2021, Ambassador Vesko Garčević, Professor of the Practice of International Relations at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University, participated in a panel hosted by the Henry Jackson Society on Russian influence and intelligence in the Western Balkans.
Garčević joined fellow scholars Dimitar Bechev, Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council, and Mira Milošević-Juaristi, Senior Research Fellow for Russia and Eurasia at the Elcano Royal Institute for International and Strategic Studies and Associate Professor at the IE University School of Global and Public Affairs, for the discussion. The panel was moderated by Jade McGlynn, Research Fellow at the Henry Jackson Society
The discussion focused primarily on the Russian soft power and economic cooperation in the region, as well as the widespread use of disinformation, cyberwarfare, and intelligence operations. While there are many examples of Russia flexing its influence and intelligence muscles in the Western Balkans, the question remains as to how impactful these strategies have actually been. The panel also discussed Russian vaccine diplomacy in the region.
Garčević argued that hybrid regimes, like those in the Western Balkans, incline to cooperate with other hybrid regimes and replicate their governance/development model. Moscow may promote a development and governance model that is in the stark contrast with the European Union (EU) concept of reforms, but it is functionally closer to political elites in the region. While regional leaders often utilize cooperation with Moscow – or Beijing – to maximize gains against the EU, the current type of cooperation with the two slows down their progress towards EU membership and keeps it away from ordinary citizens.
The full panel discussion can be viewed below.
During his diplomatic career, Ambassador Vesko Garčević dealt with issues pertinent to European security and NATO for almost 14 years. In 2004, he was posted in Vienna to serve as Ambassador to Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. He had been a Montenegro’s Ambassador to NATO from 2010 until 2014 and served as a Montenegro’s National Coordinator for NATO from 2015 until he joined the faculty at the Pardee School. Learn more about Ambassador Garčević on his faculty profile.