Young people must play an active role in shaping the region

Young people must play an active role in shaping the region, it was said at the opening of the Western Balkans Youth Forum 2026, organized by the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO).

The Forum, under the slogan "From dialogue to results: Youth shape regional cooperation", conveyed that the future of the region belongs to the generation of young people who are ready to shape it with their actions.

As announced by RYCO, the gathering in Budva, which will last until Sunday, also conveyed that young people are the key drivers of the region's European future, and that the time of promises has been replaced by a time of concrete results, cooperation and joint action.

RYCO Secretary General Vladimir Obradović emphasized the importance of today's gathering, to discuss not only the future of the region, but also how to shape it together.

"There is no better place for this than the Western Balkans Youth Forum within the Berlin Process. The Berlin Process has never been just a series of political meetings, but an initiative that connects people," said Obradović.

It was from this vision, as Obradović added, that RYCO was born ten years ago.

"Today, as RYCO celebrates a decade of existence in Montenegro, I believe we can proudly say that an entire generation across the Western Balkans has grown up with more opportunities to connect, share experiences, learn and create together than ever before. And perhaps that is one of our greatest achievements," said Obradović.

He said that young people in the Balkans often lack opportunities, trust and real space for participation, which, he added, is exactly what the Forum represents.

"The Western Balkans Youth Forum is a platform where the views and ideas of young people are transformed into concrete recommendations that continue their journey beyond this hall - towards institutions, decision-makers, regional initiatives and the Berlin Process summit," said Obradović.

Obradović also announced the launch of a new Trust Fund Initiative during the year, which will represent an important step towards creating additional opportunities to support youth cooperation, regional dialogue, and ideas initiated by young people themselves across the Western Balkans.

German Ambassador to Montenegro Peter Felten said that over the past ten years, RYCO has established itself as a key player in the field of youth exchanges and has become what they hoped it would become - a central platform for youth across the Western Balkans.

Felten, recalling that RYCO was created as one of the most significant initiatives of the Berlin Process, modeled after the Franco-German Youth Office, emphasized that France and Germany have strongly supported its development from the very beginning.

"We expect that the Montenegrin chairmanship of the Berlin Process will find a way to ensure that the substantive results of your Forum are effectively incorporated into the process on the way to the Berlin Process Summit in October. Because this is precisely one of the key aspects of the Berlin Process - its direct relevance and importance for citizens, including young people, in the countries of the region," Felten emphasized.

He recalled that Germany provides continuous political and financial support to RYCO.

Minister of European Affairs Maida Gorčević said that the next chapter of the Western Balkans will not be written by those who only talk about challenges, but by those who solve them, stating that young people are in a unique position to do just that.

"The era of aspirations without concrete results is over. The era of promises without fulfillment is over. Likewise, the era of measuring success by intentions, not by achieved results, is over. That is why it is particularly appropriate that this year's Youth Forum is being held under the slogan "From Dialogue to Results", said Gorčević.

She also assessed that the Western Balkans region has been viewed through the prism of its history for too long.

"Today I invite you to look at it through the prism of opportunity. Because history explains where we come from. Opportunities determine where we are going. And we choose Europe," said Gorčević.

The strongest democracies, according to Gorčević, are those in which young people participate in shaping the national agenda.

"The same goes for our economies. It is not enough to educate talented people. We must retain them, empower them and rely on them. When it comes to the region, its success will not depend on the absence of differences, but on our ability to turn those differences into cooperation," Gorčević said.

The Minister Delegate of the Republic of France for Europe, Benjamin Hadad, recalled that the Franco-German Youth Office was one of the inspirations for the establishment of RYCO.

"I am proud of the fact that from the difficult history we had, we managed to build something much stronger, which today can be an inspiration to others," said Hadad.

Hadad assessed that Montenegro can be very proud of the achievements and progress it has made over the last 20 years - from the restoration of independence to deep reforms that bring it closer to the European Union (EU).

He assessed that this progress represents an important incentive for the entire region.

"We often talk about EU enlargement. These are sometimes technical and bureaucratic terms. However, what we are really talking about is the reunification of the European family on our continent," the French minister said.

Addressing the young people, Hadad said that the Berlin Process was never just a matter of governments, negotiations, and diplomats.

"It is about shaping the future of your countries. You have a key role in the future of Europe. Be confident. Don't ask for permission. Break down barriers and open doors. Don't let your future be decided by politicians whose ideas belong to another time, the 1990s or even earlier," Hadad said.

The statement states that the Western Balkans Youth Forum brings together young people from the region, officials, civil society representatives, international partners and other relevant stakeholders, with the aim of exchanging ideas, strengthening regional cooperation and creating recommendations for the future development of the Western Balkans.

As it is added, during the four-day program, participants will discuss issues of key importance to young people through panel discussions, keynote speeches, thematic sessions and interactive workshops, including their participation in decision-making processes, mobility and skills development, peace and security, green transition, innovation and new regional opportunities.

"The forum represents an important platform for strengthening the voice of young people and their active involvement in processes that contribute to strengthening regional cooperation, stability and sustainable development of the Western Balkans," the statement said.