Research Assistant at the Institute of International Politics and Economics, MA Ivana Dunjić, delivered an introductory lecture on “Western Balkans Digital Summit: towards еffective digitalization process governance in the region”. In her presentation, Dunjić emphasized that digitalization is a global process that, although it affects the entire world, does not impact all regions with the same intensity. As a result, a digital divide has emerged, which is particularly pronounced in the Western Balkans. One of the key ways the region is striving to reduce its gap in global digitalization trends is through regional dialogue, realized within the multilateral process of the Western Balkans Digital Summit.
Dunjić also highlighted that the digital revolution has led to structural changes in global relations and significantly influenced the nature of diplomacy, especially by creating new networks that include both state and non-state actors. Through the theoretical approach of multistakeholder diplomacy (MSD), Dunjić examined the transformation of summit diplomacy in the context of the Western Balkans Digital Summit. She pointed out that the summit, as an important multilateral process, serves as a good practice example in digitalization process management, which not only impacts regional cooperation but also facilitates the global integration of the region into contemporary digitalization trends.
