Round table talks on the Belt and Road Initiative at CASE

(photo credits: flickr, xiquinhosilva)

On June 19, CASE organized a discussion on the opportunities which the Belt and Road initiative (BRI) can bring to Europe. Representatives of the private, state, and academic sectors who are particularly interested in the upcoming trade and investment opportunities attended the meeting.

The discussion took place in a round table format and special attention was paid to the following research questions:

Topic 1: Economy

How can European companies access new market opportunities created by the BRI?

What can Central and Eastern European and Balkan countries and companies do to benefit from BRI‑related infrastructure investments?

Topic 2: Foreign and Security Policy

How can the Central and Eastern European and Balkan countries address the opportunities and challenges of regional and bilateral cooperation with China?

How can the Central and Eastern European and Balkan countries address the political and economic impact of Chinese involvement in this region?

During the meeting, preliminary results of the research were presented. We also discussed opportunities and challenges that the BRI might bring to Central and Eastern Europe from the economic and infrastructural point of view.

CASE is a part of the THINK consortium, a pan-European project inspired by the Chinese initiative of BRI. The core of the Initiative is a network of researchers, analysts and consultants whose task is to moderate, conduct and support research and strategy development.  

The THINK consortium will prepare recommendations for EU Member States, Western Balkan states, and non-state actors in order to face challenges and exploit the opportunities created by the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative.  The recommendations will be developed in the final strategic document to be presented under the Austrian Presidency of the EU Council in October 2018.