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The main objective of the paper is analysis and proposal of a concept for establishing an efficient system for disaster management in the Western Balkan countries. After the breakup of Yugoslavia (1992), there has been no effective system for managing emergency situations, while cross-border cooperation in this respect does not exist at all. The paper provides an overview of the situation in the field of emergency and crisis management in five countries of the region and a concept of promotion and cross-border cooperation in this field. The results of the research show that no country in the region has adequate emergency and disaster management system and that, regardless of the negative experiences, an efficient multilateral cooperation system has not been established so far in this field (there is neither regulatory framework nor proposals for the model of organization and for the procedures or technical mechanisms that would make the above possible). Therefore, the concept of establishing the Regional Center for Disaster Management in the Western Balkans territory (RCDM-WB) is proposed as a first step in handling disaster situations that arise from natural phenomena or technical and technological accidents. This is the first scientifically developed proposal of this kind for the above-mentioned region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accessible literature covered in this paper commonly highlights psyllids as a significant group of insects affecting pear trees, posing a continual challenge for commercial orchards. With the development of modern pear cultivation systems, Cacopsylla pyri Linnaeus 1758 (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) has emerged as a major pest in pear orchards across many European countries, including those in the Western Balkans. For years, the agricultural sector has primarily relied on chemical insecticides to control pear psyllas, but these methods often fail to produce satisfactory results. This is largely due to C. pyri's rapid development of resistance to chemical treatments. Consequently, modern agriculture is increasingly shifting towards biological methods to manage C. pyri, involving the identification and conservation of its natural enemies. Although there is an abundance of research on the natural predators of C. pyri and their biocontrol applications across the globe, the Western Balkan region has conducted relatively few studies on the subject. Globally, various parasitoids, predators, and entomopathogenic fungi are often cited as effective against C. pyri. Specific species registered in the agroecological conditions of the Western Balkans include parasitic wasps such as Trechnites insidiosus Crawford, 1910 (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) and Prionomitus mitratus Dalman, 1820 (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae), as well as the predatory bug Anthocoris nemoralis Fabricius, 1794 (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae). However, most Balkan countries have yet to fully utilise the potential of beneficial entomofauna or develop strategies for their commercial application at a national level. Considering that C. pyri is a major pest in pear cultivation and its natural enemies have not been thoroughly explored in most of the Western Balkans, this paper aims to review the literature data on available natural enemies of pear psyllas and to highlight and promote their undeniable potential in biological control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to establish a unified typology for the culturally significant kulla stone houses built in the cross-border region of Kosovo, Albania, and Montenegro during the 18th and 19th centuries. Despite some attempts at typological categorisation on the national level, a joint typology for this region currently needs to be improved. Based on existing literature and field research, the paper identifies the specificities of different geographical locations while validating the core attributes common to all typological variations. The findings suggest that the joint typological classification of kulla in the Balkans should primarily be based on architectural elements and, to some extent, setting, building materials and techniques, while functional composition is consistent across all types. The paper argues that defining a common typology for the Albanian kulla stone houses in the Balkans is crucial for evaluating, preserving, and developing kulla as serial properties and for their future regional development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The following research paper conducts a comprehensive analysis into the intricate dynamics governing the relationship between Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and International Trade, with a specific focus on the Western Balkan Countries-6 (WB-6). This research spans the period from 2000 to 2020 and seeks to shed light on the interplay between FDI and International Trade within this region. To analyse and interpret these dynamics, various regression models, including Ordinary Least Squares (OLS), Fixed Effects, Random Effects, and the Hausman-Taylor model, are employed as analytical tools. Moreover, the research takes into consideration the influence of specific institutional factors within each country, which play a pivotal role in shaping foreign investors' decisions to invest in a particular country. The study's results reveal that gravity factors, in conjunction with institutional determinants such as economic integration, control of corruption, political stability, and other indicators of governance quality, significantly impact the attractiveness of the WB-6 countries to foreign investors. The findings of this paper hold substantial relevance for the development of an analytical framework aimed at evaluating national policies and institutions geared towards enhancing the appeal of Western Balkan countries to foreign investors. Furthermore, the research underscores the importance of these host countries prioritizing efforts to bolster the effectiveness of governmental institutions, combat corruption, streamline bureaucratic processes, and improve overall economic conditions to attract and retain foreign investment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Managing the future policy and strategy of tourism development is becoming increasingly challenging due to the constantly changing environment. It is crucial to identify key dimensions and implement the concept of sustainable development to ensure tourism development is sustainable. This paper aims to research the dimensions of sustainable tourism development in European Union countries and the Western Balkans. The goal is to analyze the homogeneity of these countries in terms of sustainability of tourism and travel. Additionally, this paper aims to determine the level of deviation of the Western Balkans from the European Union countries in terms of economic, ecological, and social sustainability of tourism development. Identifying critical components of tourism sustainability in these countries is important for creating strategic guidelines to manage tourism and directing supply and demand in the dynamic tourism market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the second half of the 19th century, the Apostolate of Sts. Cyril and Methodius Under the Protection of Blessed Virgin Mary with headquarters in the Moravian Velehrad was one of the most important institutions that encouraged the development of the cultural heritage of the Thessaloniki Brothers and Christian and European cultural values within the framework of its missionary, cultural and educational goals. It initially developed mainly in the Moravian dioceses, but its activity soon spread to Slovakia and to the emigrant circles in America. The Association organized regular pilgrimages to Velehrad. It also supported missionary activities, for example in the Balkans or in the Russian Empire and started publishing an eponymous magazine in 1910. The unionist congresses in 1907 and 1911 in Velehrad were the pinnacle of the Apostolate's organizational activities until the outbreak of the First World War. The authors of this paper focused not only on the analysis of contemporary press and literature, but also on archival research with an emphasis on the Apostolate's literary fund, which can be accessed in the Regional Archives of Opava (Branch Olomouc). The documentary evidence is also based on recent expert literature. This paper also deals with the broader contexts of the Association's establishment, relevant political contexts, the Association's Statutes and their practical implementation, i.e. the activities at home and abroad, organizational issues, publication activities, the arrival of the Society of Jesus in Velehrad, the unionist congresses, and the most important personalities and supporters. The available options in researching the Association's activities allow us to closely inspect the forms and content of the propagation of Cyrillo-Methodian ideas, the wider role of the Church, or the Slovak-Czech-Slavic interactions and/or relations with the representatives of other non-Slavic nations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Startup businesses are becoming an increasingly common term in the business world. Millions of investments, large corporations, as well as the world's best experts are connected to the concept of startup businesses. The basis of this paper is to present the situation with lending startup businesses in the Republic of North Macedonia, through analysis of the situation and challenges of the startup ecosystem in the country, and through comparative analysis of the situation with lending startup businesses in certain Western Balkan countries. The aim was to determine whether the Republic of North Macedonia has made significant progress in support, and whether it has made the transition from traditional to new methods of financing. The scientific-research contribution of this paper is in a better understanding of the strategy of the state regarding the financing of entrepreneurial ventures. The presented and interpreted results could be a useful basis and incentive for further research on this and similar topics related to the initial stage at the state and regional level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals with the population decline in Balkan countries in the last three decades, since 1990. It researches the scale of depopulation in the Balkans and analyses the causes and possible consequences of the population decline. It argues that the failure of imposed neoliberal economic policies in the Balkan countries in the 1990s caused deindustrialization, GDP stagnation and high unemployment rates, especially of young people. Together with the shift in values from traditional to neo-liberal ones which promote materialism, hedonism, consumerism and liberal middle-class feminism, it caused dramatic reduction in fertility (live births per woman) as well as a significant brain drain and economic emigration from the Balkan countries in the last 30 years. Depopulation is becoming a limiting factor for sustainability of Balkan societies. It imposes a long-term danger for demographic survival of these societies, and generates an array of other negative economic, social and political consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Russian invasion of Ukraine that began in February 2022 has created a sense of urgency across Europe and thus pushed forward significant changes and readjustments of foreign, security, and defense policies. These major shifts have been referred to as Zeitenwende by the German chancellor Olaf Scholz, the turning point not only for Germany but for the whole European security architecture. Western Balkans is increasingly stated as an area of strategic importance for the European (Euro-Atlantic) security community, whereby it is the geopolitical interest of the both the EU and NATO to have the Western Balkans integrated. This is one of the regions where the interests of the West and Russian Federation collide - this factor adds to the already complex security dynamics resulting from domestic, bilateral, and regional issues that affect regional security and stability. Hence, one characteristic of the regional political and security dynamics is the long-term presence of external actors. This paper explores the effects of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on the Western Balkans' political and security dynamics from the perspective of Regional Security Complex Theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Western societies face a major challenge to control their stray dog population due to its uncontrolled propagation and abandonment. Despite the management programmes implemented in many European countries, the reduction of the stray dog population has not been achieved. This is not only related to dogs' well-being, but also to their coexistence with humans, especially in urban areas. Problemsolving approaches vary in different countries, as there is no common legislation in the European Community dealing with stray dog control. To realise this research study, data from secondary sources, as well as data collected from thirteen European countries were analysed. A comparative overview of policies and measures was examined to show that stray dog population management depends on the policy implicated by each country. In contrast to countries of northern Europe, significant problems were faced mainly by the countries of southern Europe and the Balkans. The purpose of this paper was to present the legal framework of management for the stray dog population in accordance with what is implemented in different EU countries and to unveil the need for action for a common European Community Directive or Regulation dealing with stray dog control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Balkan region is rich in limestone deposits, which have created one of the largest hotspots of subterranean biodiversity. This paper gives an overview of the diversity of subterranean terrestrial arthropods in Resava Cave in eastern Serbia. This cave is protected and has the status of a natural monument. At the same time, it is one of the most visited caves in Serbia and its surroundings. Our study comprises the results of three years of biospeleological investigations of the famous Serbian cave in combination with data from the few available literature sources on the arthropod fauna of the cave. The arthropod samples were collected both manually and with pitfall traps. A total of 107 arthropod species from the four major subphyla were registered in the cave: 66 species of Hexapoda, 27 species of Chelicerata, 11 species of Myriapoda and three species of Crustacea. For four troglobitic, 16 troglophilic and 87 trogloxenic species recorded in the cave, descriptions of their microhabitats and information on their distribution in the cave are given. Considering the medium size of Resava Cave and the lack of permanent water flow in the two main levels on the one hand, and the large number of arthropod species recorded on the other, the cave is relatively rich in hypogean terrestrial arthropod fauna compared to other caves in Serbia that have been biospeleologically studied so far. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Europe is characterized by an uneven record of Middle Paleolithic occupations. Specifically, large parts of southeastern Europe display markedly lower site densities and less intensive evidence of human presence than is found elsewhere; this has often resulted in the exclusion of the Balkans from debates related to Pleistocene human adaptation. The discrepancy stems either from the lower population densities of southeastern Europe or an imbalance in research across Europe. Additionally, our understanding of Balkan Middle Paleolithic stone tool industries suffers from the use of Mousterian labels defined when Bordian typology was the chief method of lithic analysis. Industrial facies then defined and still in use include Balkan Charentian, Levallois Mousterian, Micromousterian, Denticulate Mousterian; their relation with the rest of the Eurasian record was and remains unclear. This paper sets aside the issue of scarcity of Pleistocene occupations and tries to address Neanderthal biogeography, and variations in Neanderthal technological behavior and subsistence, based on the available record. It reviews the current Middle Paleolithic record in the Balkans, presents the apparent temporal and spatial trends, and presents the provisional biogeography of hominins, including scenarios for the demise of Neanderthals at or soon after the arrival of modern humans in Europe. The paper ends with a discussion of perspectives for future research arising from this analysis of the available record and proposes some hypotheses regarding the role of the Balkans in the overall context of the occupational history of western Eurasia in the Middle/Late Pleistocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this research paper is to examine the impact of monetary policy conditions on bank risk-taking in the Western Balkan countries. The paper tries to identify if monetary policy conditions, especially money interest rates, may induce a greater appetite for bank risk-taking in the Western Balkan countries. The impact of macroeconomic and banking indicators on bank risk-taking will be examined, too. For this purpose, we apply pooled OLS techniques, Fixed and Random effects panel, and Hausman-Taylor Instrumental IV model. The econometric results show a negative correlation between the monetary policy rate and bank risk-taking, rejecting the hypothesis that monetary policy rates indicate bank risk increase. However, expansive credit policies or loan portfolio growth have a positive impact on bank risk-taking in the Western Balkans. The study is original, and its findings will be of value to Central Banks and other policymakers in the Western Balkan countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Turkic varieties of the Balkans use two main diametrically opposed subordination strategies: (i) the Turkic model, where typical subordinate clauses are prepositive, nonfinite, contain clause-final subordinators, etc. and (ii) the Indo-European model, where typical subordinate clauses are postpositive, finite, contain clause-initial subordinators, etc. The paper observes that Balkan Turkic additionally uses several kinds of subordinate clause that allow for problematic mixtures of these two models ('X-clauses'). Spread over a spectrum between the Turkic and Indo-European extremes, X-clauses can, for instance, be prepositive but contain clause-initial subordinators. The paper, then, hypothesizes that X-clauses emerge due to uncertainties in the structural parameters of the Balkan Turkic subordination system. Such uncertainties are typical of complex systems undergoing change and arise in the present case due to the shift in Balkan Turkic away from Turkic towards Indo-European subordination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the temporalities of EU investments into Southeast European (SEE) roads. Road construction and maintenance and related institutional frameworks, regulation, and project planning signify different modes of infrastructural time. Roads carry narratives of development and progress, but they also confront visions of desired futures with ruins of forgotten pasts. Promises of infrastructural potential intersect with project cycles, financial flows, and construction timelines, and work delays and material malfunctions. As such, infrastructures are a productive entry point to understanding how Europeanisation works through different temporalizing practices and techniques. The paper maps complex temporalities and temporal politics that shape infrastructural development and showcases how Europeanisation works also outside of promises of linear progress to EU membership on the one hand and corresponding classifications of absent futures on the other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reassesses Russia's policy vis-à-vis the Western Balkans in terms of its pursuit of status. The region has been historically significant to Russia. It saw centuries of interaction between rulers in Moscow (or St. Petersburg) with the local Orthodox Slavs and other great powers of the day. Following the end of the Cold War, the Russian state emerged as a very different entity from imperial Russia or the Soviet Union. In the Western Balkans, it found a stage for not just rekindling centuries-long ties but also rebuilding its image as a great power in cooperation and, as this paper shows, increasing competition with primarily the West. However, as this research attests by referring to the Larson–Shevchenko framework of the Social Identity Theory (SIT), status must be conferred through a voluntary recognition by other great powers, which recognize status-aspirant's actions as non-threatening to their standing and as having a positive value. So far, Russia's Balkan policies have primarily been seen negatively as either promoting retrograde ideology or outright spoiler behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The new United Nations (UN) sustainable development (SD) agenda in 2015 heralded the beginning of a new global effort for the planet's sustainability through the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They provide a framework for all countries, regardless of income levels, to guide national planning for achieving SD. Climate change may impact almost all SDGs and vice versa, though, of the 17 SDGs, the 13th is designated to climate action. The growing concern for environmental degradation has raised the question of how countries will manage to achieve SDGs and whether the answer can be found in their institutions. Reducing emissions necessitates environmental policies influenced by political institutions that shape policy adoption and implementation. This paper aims to analyze the effects of institutions adopting the dimensions of good governance on particular SDG indicators of the 13th SDG by using a Nonparametric Kernel Regression framework and a panel data set of 5 Western Balkans (WB) countries from 2000 to 2020. The target countries share the ambition of EU accession and hold the EU candidate status. WB countries spark our interest because of the severe institutional governance problems, which limit their ability to progress towards SDGs. The paper's empirical analysis uses a specific SDG indicator for the 13 SDG of the Europe Sustainable Development Report, similar to that used by the OECD for the report on Measuring Distance to the SDG Targets. The analysis includes as independent variables the World Governance Indicators (WGI). Contributing to the existing literature on institutions and SD, the novelty of our approach is the use of the WGI with SDG indicators in measuring the impact of quality of governance on the progress towards the 13th SDG referring to climate action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An intense transition of Turkish and Islamic culture in the Balkans in the Ottoman period could not be comprehensive and complete since the Balkans had already had both its own native and autochthonous cultural identity, mainly Christian Orthodox. This cultural contact between Islam and Christianity, specifically in the case of the Balkans, created a new form of coexistence that we did not have the opportunity to see in other parts of the world. Religious holidays were good examples of social phenomena in which the values of domestic Orthodox, oriental Muslim and old Turkish customs were somehow united. Nevertheless, one of the most important socio-religious movements that managed to couple the local heritage with the new cultural and ideological one was Sufism, that is, the dervish heritage, which is the backbone of this paper. Although khanqahs/ribats, tekkes and other dervish institutions were fundamentally connected to Islam, sociologically speaking, they by no means belonged only to Muslims, which is confirmed by numerous data showing that Christians regularly attended dervish gatherings in such places, and that they often sought refuge in them. This was not the case with mosques that were clearly associated with the Muslim population. This fact has given us the right, as well as the opportunity, to investigate in more detail the role of dervish orders in uniting all peoples in our area in this paper. Monasteries, tekkes, khanqahs and turbets go beyond religious and ritualistic needs of the population. They penetrate deep into the core of spiritual needs of people and as such belong almost simultaneously to both Christians and Muslims. Those spiritual heritages from both sides in question have been the main guarantee for a natural, prosperous and productive common life in these areas. After the introductory remarks about Sufism and dervish orders in the Balkans, this paper tries, using concrete examples, to point out to the similarities between Christian and Muslim spiritual and mystical traditions in the Balkans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines the factors for the 'big moment' of the far right, its Big Bang, i.e, when far-right parties transform from marginal 'groupuscules' into considerable political players. It is the moment when political supply and social demand interact, like two elements in a chemical reaction, and are transformed into far-right vote; the far-right redox. What are the conditions and the catalyst that allow the far-right redox to take place? Discussing the importance of the media as a resource for all political actors, and especially the far-right party family and analysing examples from three Balkan countries (Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia), Greece and France, the working hypothesis is that a necessary and sufficient condition is the occurrence of a media-induced event that acts as a catalyst, leading to their rise from the political margins to the political mainstream. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the growing shares of renewable energy sources in the grids, the interest in energy storage systems has increased. The role of pumped hydro energy storage systems as flexible solutions for managing peak and off-peak prices from nuclear and fossil power plants in previous systems is now revitalized in the liberalized systems, with a volatile generation of wind and solar energy. Thus, understanding of the patterns behind the economics of energy storage is crucial for the further integration of energy storage in the grids. In this paper, the factors that impact the economic viability of energy storage in electricity markets are analyzed. The method of approach used in this study considers the electricity market price distribution, full load hours, the total costs of energy storage, and linear regression analysis. Using revenues from arbitraging a 10-megawatt (MW) pumped hydro storage system in the Western Balkans, resulting from the electricity market price distribution and the analysis of the total costs of storage, an econometric model is created. This model shows the impacting factors of energy storage development in the context of the rising renewables sector. Research shows that the previous hypothesis about the integration of energy storage systems in proportion to the increase in shares of renewables in the grids is incorrect. There is a significant correlation between energy storage revenues, the dependent variable, and the independent variables of hydro, wind, and solar generation. The conducted analysis indicates the future arbitraging opportunities of pumped hydro energy storage systems and provides useful insights for energy storage investors and policymakers. During the transitional period, until the deployment of renewables changes the effects of fossil power plants, energy storage price arbitrage is profitable and desirable for 500, 1000, and 2000 full load hours in the Western Balkan region. Despite the need for flexibility, with more renewables in the grids, large-scale energy storage systems will not be economically viable in the long run because of "revenue cannibalization". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has recently been observed, that a change in the crop spectrum happened during the so-called Middle Neolithic in France at ca. 4000 BC. An agricultural system based on free-threshing cereals (naked wheat and naked barley) seems to shift to one based on glume wheats. This is a major change for traditional farmers and this paper aims to shed light on its possible causes. Here we describe the results of new investigations in a key area for the understanding of this process: the NW Mediterranean arch, where free-threshing cereals are the main cultivars since ca. 5100 BC. New data confirm that the shift towards glume wheats is also observed in some sites of the NE of the Iberian Peninsula and that among the glume wheats that spread at ca. 4000 BC we should not only consider emmer and einkorn but also Timopheevi's wheat. Stable isotope analyses indicate no major decrease in soil fertility or alterations in local precipitation regimes. The agricultural change may be the result of a combination of the spread of damaging pests for free-threshing cereals and presumably new networks being developed with the North-eastern part of Italy and the Balkans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an economic policy, currency substitution – the use of a foreign currency in lieu of a domestic currency – is rarely associated with nationalism. This is due to a natural tendency to equate nationalism with economic mercantilism and with the political need to foster nationalist feelings among the population. This need not to be the case, though, as the case of the newly independent Montenegro demonstrates. How can we explain the apparent inconsistency between nationalist leaders fighting for independence and opting to use the currency of the European Union (EU), the quintessential supra-national entity? This paper suggests that conventional explanations need to be complemented with a contextual historical analysis of nationalism. By incorporating the fluid and multifaceted nature of nationalism which, in the hands of skilful political elites, can be reframed to include apparently contradictory positions, I suggest that euroisation has been extremely consistent with nationalist goals. As the content and directionality of nationalist discourse shifted, the euro was transformed into a symbol of national identity in this Newly Independent Country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This paper aims to examine the frequency and significance of diagnostic comorbidity of psychiatric disorders and somatic diseases in a sample of patients with depression as well as present current psychopharmacological treatment of the patients in the sample. Methods: The subjects in this study sample were 489 patients from the four Western Balkan countries with current primary diagnosis of major depression according to ICD 10. Comorbid psychiatric disorders and non-psychiatric illnesses were noted according to ICD 10 criteria during the diagnostic interview and analysed later. Additionally, the pharmacological treatment (existing and newly introduced) for each patient was noted and analysed later. Results: At least one comorbid psychiatric disorder was present in 72.5% of patients. The most frequent were anxiety disorders (53.6%), specifically generalized anxiety disorder (20.2%); non-organic sleep disorders (50.7%), specifically insomnia (48.4%); and sexual dysfunctions (21.4%), specifically lack of sexual desire (20.2%). Comorbidity with any non-psychiatric illness was present in 80.3% of patients. The most frequent were circulatory system diseases (55.9%), specifically hypertension (45.9%); endocrine, nutritional and metabolic disorders (51.3%), specifically hyperlipidaemia (24.0%); and other non-psychiatric disorders (60.7%), specifically low back pain (22.7%). All patients received pharmacological treatment with different medications. Most patients received monotherapy or combination therapy of antidepressants, anxiolytics, antipsychotics and antiepileptics. The most frequently used antidepressants were escitalopram, sertraline, and duloxetine. The most frequently used anxiolytics were alprazolam and diazepam, the most used antiepileptic was pregabalin, and the most used antipsychotics were olanzapine, quetiapine, and aripiprazole. Conclusion: The results of the study confirm the results of previous research studies about the high prevalence of psychiatric and non-psychiatric comorbidities in patients with depression that were conducted in the past. It would be important if future studies could prove the importance of those comorbidities on clinical severity, choice of treatment, and its outcome in patients with depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with three different but interconnected cases of placement, displacement and relocation of Persian literary culture in the Eastern Mediterranean sphere: the reception of a line by Ḥāfiẓ in 1920s Cairo, as represented in a novel by Najīb Maḥfūẓ; a Modern Greek adverb, φαρσί , expressing multilingual fluency and its probable Ottoman roots; a Veneto-Balkanic net of circulation of Persian textual and linguistic heritage, focusing especially on Mostar. As the intertwined case-studies touched upon in this essay clearly show, only deep philological excavations in little-studied local microhistories can properly unearth the still obscure early modern ecology of Persian "between the Adriatic and the Nile". By taking a multilingual approach (in which Persian, Arabic, Turkish, Bosnian, Venetian and Italian are read as a cultural continuum), and looking at the ubiquity of the prestige of Persian against the background of a "significant geography" made of both physical and linguistic spaces we throw a new light—taking a step beyond the sometimes over-used notion of the "Persianate"—on the dynamics of inscriptions of Persian in the early modern Mediterranean and Southern European realities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Balkan countries undergoing the transition must advance their economies to be more competitive. The aim of this paper is to analyse economic growth with a primary focus on the analysis of economic convergence in the Balkan region in the period of 1997-2020. The research analyses the following Balkan economies: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, and Slovenia. This study applies Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as a measure of economic growth and is based on the neoclassical economic growth model: the Solow's convergence concept. The results show that the Balkan countries experienced economic convergence with a speed of 1.82% in the cross-sectional model and 7.87% in the panel data model. It means that the initially less developed economies noted higher economic growth than those richer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the theoretical treatment of the content of the principles on which the Public Administration Reform was built in the Western Balkans countries, led by the European Union. In addition, the principles contained in the EU regulations and which are included in the form of objectives in the Public Administration Reform Strategy in the Western Balkans countries, the claims to join the EU, if we analyse them carefully are derived or adapted from the principles of Weber's theory on Bureaucracy. Since Public Administration Reform is a process closely related to the organization and that of institutions as state organizations with the aim of modernizing them on the same principles as Weber, the idea of the ideal bureaucracy, so that such a bureaucracy should be based on: A formal hierarchical structure; Rules-based Management; Functional Specialty organization; Up-focused or In-focused Mission; Impersonal and Employment-based on Technical Qualifications. It is important that the same principles in which Weber calls for the modern organization of institutions as organizations, but also based on which the idea for Public Administration Reform in the Western Balkans countries was built, to analyse under what preconditions can be reached their realization in practice. Analysing the actions of the states of the Western Balkans to fulfil or not these principles, the weight of the Public Administration Reform process for the development of the institutions of these states will be concluded, the democratization of the societies will be measured, but at the same time it will be tested through these examples as well Weber's Theory of Bureaucracy, and its relevance in the twenty-first century. In order to carry out the work in question, secondary data were used, including scientific literature, reports on the subject from competent institutions, but also analysis from researchers and experts who deal with research and monitoring of the implementation process of the Reform in the Public Administration of the Western Balkans countries. This work will serve to raise the voice for a qualitative reformation in the centre with the citizen as the key cause for the need of such a process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the potential applicability of OECD competitiveness and sustainability indicators of tourism in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The analysis assesses the current state of the country's tourism industry and identifies areas that require significant improvement to enhance competitiveness compared to other Western Balkan countries. This comprehensive study covers all relevant data necessary to measure the OECD indicators. Based on the research conducted, it was found that Bosnia and Herzegovina does not adequately monitor the competitiveness of its tourism industry. The main objective of this research is to demonstrate that the political-territorial structure of the country presents the main challenge in achieving a competitive and sustainable tourism industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the construction of a national and supra-national culinary identity in Slovenia in the decades since its independence from Yugoslavia through the TV chefs Valentina and Luka Novak's celebrity cookbooks. As they cook for the nation, they establish the idea of what is to be "Slovene" in post-socialism. Based on an analysis of the spin-off cookbooks from their popular TV series Love through the Stomach broadcast on Slovene television from 2009 to 2014, the paper discusses their complex navigation between various aspects of Slovenia's history, as the chefs distance the cuisine from its Yugoslav past and explicitly reorient its food culture toward Central Europe. In doing this, they reflect and reinforce larger discourse shifts that have been taking place in Slovenia since the 1980s and through which its political and media elites prepared the ground for Slovenia's entry to the EU in 2004, distancing themselves from its "Balkan" neighbors and embracing its European essence. This paper shows how such shifts can be reflected in culinary texts, such as cookbooks, contributing to the understanding of everyday food texts as political texts. The paper also demonstrates the role of the Slovene middle-class elite as culinary trendsetters in the post-socialist period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The this paper the authors describe the development of the education program for nurses in public health in the European Union (EU). Methods: This paper will present information from relevant professional/scientifical data sources about the basic principles in the development of nursing and midwifery education programs, which will contribute to the development of new competencies of nurses in the field of health care and public health. The paper provides an overview of the Munich Declaration, followed by an overview of the educational systems for nurses and midwives in several countries of Western Europe and the Balkans. Topic: The authenticity of health care evaluation ensures the conditions for strengthening nurses’ awareness of the value of their own profession and the independence of acquired competencies and skills from inappropriate external interference. Recognizing the profession or authenticity of nursing requires more education. All questions and reflections are focused on the identity and authenticity of the profession, emphasizing the value of nursing care, as well as the aspiration that the development of the nursing profession remains within the framework of the fundamental value. Conclusion: Today, nurses make a significant contribution to the health care system of a country at all levels of health care. In order to achieve the professionalization of nursing, it is necessary to transform nurses, which implies a high level of quality knowledge and skills, as well as an awareness of moral and ethical responsibility towards patients, colleagues and oneself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research paper aims to investigate. the impact of inflation. on financial sector performance in Western. Balkan. countries. The topic was chosen considering the financial sector's fundamental role and its. impact on sustainable economic growth. This impact is measured through the effect that macroeconomic determinants of financial. performance such. as inflation, GDP. growth, general government final consumption expenditure, trade, and the lending interest rate have on credit to private sector as a share of GDP and broad definition of money as a ratio of GDP, which were used to proxy financial sector development. The data are provided by the World Bank as well as the Central. Banks. of the respective countries, for the period 2002–2021. The research methodology consists of different panel regression models such as OLS, OLS robust, Fixed effects, Random effects, and Generalized method of moments (GMM). Findings indicate that domestic credit to the private sector and inflation are positively correlated, whereas broad money and inflation are negatively correlated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The plant communities dominated by Asphodelus ramosus are quite common in the Mediterranean Basin, especially in the most degraded vegetation stages caused by grazing and fires. The aim of this paper is to provide a phytosociological description of the Asphodelus ramosus-dominated plant community of the Murge Plateau, in southeastern Italy, through 28 phytosociological relevés. Cluster analysis (flexible Beta method) and ordination (non-metric multidimentional scaling) were used to compare this plant community with other dry grassland associations in the same area and with other Asphodelus ramosus-dominated plant communities from Italy and western Balkans. The results allowed the description of a new association for the Murge Plateau: the Gelasio columnae-Asphodeletum ramosi. The new association has been tentatively classified in the alliance Hippocrepido glaucae-Stipion austroitalicae (Scorzoneretalia villosae order), because of the presence of several species typical of this alliance, although it is intermediate between this alliance and the more thermophilous vegetation of the Lygeo sparti-Stipetea tenacissimae class. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims at re-examining the available data regarding the location of ciuitas Ausdecensium in Moesia Inferior, starting from the uncertainty as to the place where was discovered the inscription CIL III 14437² - the famous boundary stone which records the resolution of a land dispute between this ciuitas and a neighbouring population of Dacians. The analysis is focused on some keyelements which could elucidate the relation between ciuitas Ausdecensium and the Thracian strategy Οὐσδικησική recorded by Ptolemy: the fact that we deal with a boundary stone which, therefore, was initially placed at an extremity of the territory belonging to this ciuitas, the fact that this territory extended in the opposite direction, most probably to the south, from the place where the boundary stone was installed, as well as the fact that the interprovincial border between Moesia Inferior and Thracia is considered to have passed north of the Balkans' range, not very far fromDanube's line, although the exact border route is still debated. All these circumstances lead to the plausible consequence of territorium ciuitatis Ausdecensiumreaching the interprovincial borderline. At its turn, this consequence, corroborated with the location in northern Thracia of the strategy Οὐσδικησική, according to Ptolemy's account, supports the possible contiguity betweenterritoriumciuitatis Ausdecensiumand the territory of the strategy Οὐσδικησική. If this hypothesis is accurate, it may shed light on the processes that led to the creation of this ciuitas and, at the same time, could generate the need to be reassessed the opinion that considers this population of southern Thracian origin as having been relocated to Dobruja. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Local governments in the Western Balkan countries are dependent on central governments' transfers, with low fiscal autonomy and limited efforts for own-source revenue mobilisation. The paper identifies that besides central government transfers, other significant factors in determining municipal own-source revenues include central and local public investment, current expenditures, human development index, and population density. Municipal own-source revenue is adversely affected by intergovernmental transfers, implying their de-incentivising effect in collecting local revenues. Local capital expenditure is a significant and strong determinant with a higher strength than central government investments, suggesting their importance for local fiscal autonomy. The human development index as a composite measure, unlike GDP per capita, positively affects the municipal fiscal autonomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whistleblowing, as concept covering the institutional dimension and its practical manifestations, took different forms in the Western Balkans. Using a rational choice institutionalist definition of Europeanization, the research explores the conceptual framework of whistleblowing and the protection of whistleblowers as an underlining element of rule of law in the European Union. Subsequently, the paper presents the evolution of whistleblowing as element of EU's conditionality in relation to the Western Balkan countries, describing the events, the stakeholders and the role played by EU's conditionality in adopting whistleblowing laws. Case studies covering Serbia, Albania and Kosovo, as three states in different stages of accession to the European Union, analyze the evolution of legislation that ensure the protection of whistleblowers, the timeframe ranging differently for each country due to the moment they first adopted such legislation, searching to understand the role played by European Union's institutions in shaping the development and adoption processes of such legislation. Finally, the paper uses rational choice institutionalism to explain the dynamics within the principal-agent relation and why, as confirmed in literature, certain reforms are not lasting if they do not include elements to enhance their role within the society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The world is not any longer as it used to be before the Russian aggression in Ukraine, was the dominant political statement as the war started. war in Ukraine is the most impactful development in post-Soviet international relations and security arrangements in Europe and beyond. Based on the multifaceted impact it had, it can be considered of a global impact. It affected the post-war international order foundations, driving states' and great powers' behaviour changes to reconsider their foreign policy, geo-political and geostrategic objectives. The same can be claimed about the major powers' policies towards the Western Balkans. The Russian assertive and aggressive behaviour, the US further commitment, and the EU revival of the enlargement policy. The paper aims to look at the impact of the war in Ukraine in the Western Balkans as a region and at individual countries. It will try to explore how such developments pushed the major power present in the region, the EU, the US, and Russia to reconsider their policies towards the region, and how this impacted the foreign policies of the Western Ballkan states in turn? The paper will be based on secondary sources, policy papers, documents, reports, media news, and other relevant sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) is one of the only two taxa representatives of the Family Ciconiidae (Storks) that nest in Bulgaria. The species is protected both on the territory of the country and the EU, and is included in the subject and conservation objectives of many SPAs in the country, part of the European ecological network NATURA 2000. In this paper we present the number, etiology, condition and treatment outcome of over 2,900 specimens of the species accepted for treatment in the period 1999 - 2021. These are patients of the Green Balkans Wildlife Rescue Center in Stara Zagora, which is leading unit for ex-situ conservation of wildlife protected and rare bird species not only in the country but also on the Balkan Peninsula. The outcome of the treatment of all white storks is presented in 4 main categories - returned to nature, housed for aviary breeding, redirected to other ex-situ structurers, as well as lethal outcome. We evaluated the influence of different etiological factors, age and season on the treatment outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic is the cause of the global health crisis, economic downturn and financial crisis. The tourism was the most affected industry because moving and travel restrictions put in place. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the impact of COVID-19 on tourism development in Western Balkan countries. The aim of this paper is to analyze whether it exists the difference impact of COVID-19 on tourism development of Western Balkan countries. The results of research indicate that COVID-19 was the most important impact on tourism development of observed countries during this century. In 2020, the Western Balkan countries recorded the decrease of number of foreign tourists and tourism receipts, but the same time recorded the increase of receipts per tourist. At the same time, the results indicate that tourism and death rate have significant impact on the economic growth of Western Balkan countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the jembe (djembé) as a symbol of Africanness in contemporary Serbian culture. Players' narratives often underline the universality and spirituality of distant, romanticised Africa linking these supposed features to 'archaic' aspects of Serbian and Balkan traditional music. The trope of universally adaptable rhythm has united different players, from pioneers of cross-cultural sound during late Yugoslav socialism to the proponents of present-day multiculturalism in Serbia. This paper is informed by ethnographic research with the group Đembija, a recent Belgrade-based music project, and by the use and discourse surrounding the jembe and other African instruments by other contemporary Serbian musicians. The jembe's use in world music bands serves as the basis for a diversity of ideological, poetic and musical practices. Simultaneously, the aural learning, small scale and 'slow pace' of musicianship, in contrast to the hectic everyday experience of contemporary capitalist society, acquires nostalgic resonances within Serbia's budding cross-cultural jembe playing practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, I analyze the changing nationalist narratives of golden age in the Balkans. By zooming in on the case studies of the late nineteenth‐ and early twenty‐first‐century South‐East European societies, I explain how and why the images of the mythical past are articulated differently in the two historical periods. I argue that in the nineteenth century golden age rhetoric was mostly a top‐down phenomenon centered on transforming Balkan peasantry into the loyal members of their new nation‐states. By the early twenty‐first century, this process has reached its institutional limits and the golden age narratives have become a bottom‐up phenomenon: the key agents of their creation and dissemination are members of civil society, social movements, and ordinary people. I focus on the structural processes that underpin this change to explain the historical dynamics of nationalisms. The paper is based on the qualitative text analysis using nineteenth‐century and early twentieth‐century archival materials and the documents from the contemporary mass media, official records, educational materials, and popular culture in the Balkans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the use of social media to underline the tourism cultural heritage of Bucharest. The authors examine the history of the city, dating back from its settlement during the Ottoman Empire and passing through a series of radical changes: the period of Phanariot rulers, the golden age as the "Little Paris" of the Balkans, the Communist period, and the current democratic regime. The paper is based on the reviews' study from the Tripadvisor.com platform and investigates tourists' emotions during their travel experiences. Sentiment analysis of Bucharest as a tourist attraction was developed based on the emotion criteria (anger, anticipation, disgust, fear, joy, sadness, surprise, trust). The findings revealed that visitors have favourable emotional responses towards the tourist attractions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The term internationalization has been mainly used to show the expansion of economic activities of firms outside of their home country where they aim at capturing a bigger market. The Central and Eastern Europe region has gone through a process of market transition over the past few decades, yet the business internationalization process has played an important role in the states' economies. The aim of this paper is to analyze the firm internationalization process in the new member states and the Western Balkans countries and gain a better understanding of the process and its course over time. Due to different geopolitical circumstances, the Western Balkan countries did not attract as many investors as much as the EU member states in CEE did that have had a constant flow of investments once they were members of the EU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an artistic paleolandscape experiment based primarily on recent palynological data from the Paleolithic site of Pešturina, in the Central Balkans of Serbia. These data are integrated into the general knowledge of flora and vegetation changes in the Balkans and southern Carpathians obtained through other paleobotanical sequences, especially pollen records from lake sediments. The paleoartistic proposal includes several drawing attempts at different geographic scales with an emphasis on plant taxa and their position within glacial refugia. The contrast with the interglacial situation is also illustrated, but the work especially focuses on the concept of long-term refugia and the altitudinal shifts of steppes, conifers, and broad-leaf trees. An ecological and biogeographical discussion accompanies the illustrations, highlighting the insurmountable methodological limitations and the challenges that pose obstacles to the progress of palynology as a technique for paleoenvironmental reconstruction at the spatial scale. The structure of the paper aims to serve as a guiding example for the teaching and scientific dissemination of paleosciences, from a conservationist perspective that is much needed in the current scenario of global change and biodiversity crisis. • Challenging Traditional Zoocentrism in Paleoartistic Research. • Paleoartistic works show Paleolithic vegetation within a Refugium in Central Balkans. • During the Pleistocene, Balkan Neanderthals survived in the ecotone between steppes and mixed forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heraldic traditions in southeast European countries are similar, as are the histories of their state emblems and coat of arms. Their development could be classified into three periods: (1) from the founding of the states until the end of World War II; (2) the socialist period; and (3) the period of democratisation after the collapse of socialism. The focus of this work is the processes of the adoption of coats of arms. The descriptions are taken from the appropriate legal documents. This paper examines the emblems and coats of arms of modern southeastern European, or Balkan states, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Slovenia, and Serbia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals with the history of the Bektashi tariqa and an analysis of the factors which influenced the formation of its theosophy. In order to properly viewed such a complex topic, the focus is placed on the development, specifics, doctrine and organization of this Islamic religious order. Their detailed reasoning led to results from which two things can be concluded. The first, that due to their active missionary work, the Bektashis should be more credited for the expansion of the Ottoman state in the Balkans during the Middle Ages than it is believed so. Second, that the receptivity of the Bektashi doctrine to non-Muslims laid in its heterogeneity, in the sense that through the synthesis of various religions, beliefs and folklore (but staying within the frame of the Islam), it offered answers to the questions of the relationship to God and Nature in a way which was meaningful and generally acceptable to many ordinary people over the centuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of this paper is to develop possible scenarios for reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in Serbia by switching from coal-fired to natural gas-fired electricity generation by the end of 2050. Accordingly, the challenges are to establish scenarios and identify measures that are best suited to all Western Balkan countries. In particular, this paper proposes a number of energy mix scenarios that offer some options for reducing CO2 emissions while maintaining an economic way of consumption. Projections of these reduction scenarios are obtained by combining the Kaya identity with the emission factor method. A simplified methodology based on sensitivity analysis is used as a source of data to estimate the nonstatistical uncertainty limits for the projections of the reduction scenarios. The sensitivity analysis is carried out using historical data from Serbia for the period from 1990 to 2019. In addition, a direct verification of the proposed methodology is performed based on historical data for 2020. The developed scenarios 1 and 2 show that CO2 emissions could be reduced by 10.94% and up to 74.44% from baseline in 1990, respectively. The obtained results are also contrasted with the data available for some other countries with similar experiences. Finally, it is found that the developed scenarios are achievable only at significantly decreased levels of coal-fired electricity generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Montenegro and Serbia are on track to join the EU, followed by other Western Balkan countries. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate these countries' economic integration maturity. The analysis covers the period between 2006 and 2019. The main questions concern the evolution of Western Balkan countries during the last 15 years, the results that have already been achieved, and the weakest points of their potential accession. The paper suggests that, although these countries are about to fulfil the economic criteria, they are not fully prepared to join the EU from an economic perspective as they face significant challenges in terms of integration maturity. To endorse this suggestion, the paper forms a new composite indicator to provide a comprehensive understanding of the recent development of these countries' functioning market economy, competitiveness, macroeconomic stability, convergence, and financing ability. Results can contribute to the integration theory and enlargement decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Works on establishment of the spirit levelling network in the Balkan countries were ruled by the political and economic circumstances. This was subject to the analysis since the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy period, over former Yugoslavia in all of its political forms, down to the present countries of the Balkan Peninsula. Heights differences and heights are part of the II Levelling Network of High Accuracy (II.NVT network). The works on establishment of II.NVT network have been organized and performed by the Federal Geodetic Administration of former Yugoslavia and the Geodetic Administrations of the accompanying Republics. The Military-Geographic Institute from Belgrade had performed gravity measurements over one part of the levelling network. "The II.NVT network data are the subject of computer processing, modern analyses, fundamental and applied scientific researches and application in solving some practical tasks" (Rožić in Acta Geodaetica et Geophysica Hungarica 36(2):231–243, 2001). Calculations of accuracy of corrections in different height systems will be presented in this paper. The subject of this analysis is the error sources in the corrections for the orthometric, normal, and normal orthometric heights. The error sources that accompany the spirit levelling procedure are, for the most part, examined with the assumption that the height difference may be determined with the accuracy of 1.0 mm/km. The corrections in different height systems will be made through the function of a link to the directly/indirectly measured values. The accuracy of the correction will be presented by applying the law of error propagation on the data collected in the II.NVT network for the territory with the characteristic relief. The reason for writing this paper is noted deviation from theoretical assumptions on the shape of reference surfaces in the various height systems. The deviation noted are in the part of relief characteristic over the deep karst and high mountains in one polygon of the II.NVT network, over the distance of 40 km. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maintaining monetary stability is the first and fundamental objective of the currency board regime, especially after political and economic crises such as the one in the Balkans in the 1990s. The very limited role of the central bank has disciplined financial institutions and governments, but at the same time is not conducive to long-term growth and employment. This policy ties the domestic currency to the 'peg' currency, leading to inflationary tendencies in the country whose currency is used as the 'peg'. Currently, the high inflation rates are caused by the pandemic crisis, but also by the war in Ukraine. This paper analyses the causes of inflation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Bulgaria as countries with currency boards. The results show that inflation in these two countries is 'imported inflation' from two points of view: the monetary policy of the European Central Bank and the inflation trend in the EMU, but mainly due to the Ukraine crisis and consequently the energy and food crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Union (EU) is the dominant political and economic influence in the Western Balkan (WB) region, but in the view of many of the region's citizens, EU integration is associated with strict and painful convergence criteria and burdensome reforms as well as the inertia of unfulfilled accession requirements. China's involvement in the region is focused mainly on much-needed but controversial infrastructure investments; accordingly, it has attracted increasing international attention over the past decade. At the same time, Turkey, the Arab States, and Russia have also shown heightened interest in the region. This paper addresses the important geopolitical question of whether a mutually-beneficial relationship for all participants is possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tetramorium Mayr, 1855 is a worldwide distributed and hyperdiverse ant genus consisting of almost 600 taxa manifesting various life history strategies. Species of the Tetramorium inquilinum species-group represents one of the most extreme forms of parasitism and consist of degenerate workerless social parasites of several Tetramorium species. So far, its members have been recorded in the Palearctic from montane to alpine zones and reveal an interesting disjunction in host selection observed between eastern-Mediterranean and western-Mediterranean species. We describe a fifth member of the Tetramorium inquilinum species-group: Tetramorium albenae Salata, van Delft & Borowiec sp. n. The species morphologically differs from the remaining members of the group by the combination of the following characters: dense and erect pilosity of appendages and the whole body, smooth head sculpture, predominantly smooth anepisternum and katepisternum, lack of blunt teeth on propodeum, and presence of distinct carianae on the dorsolateral margins of the propodeum. Tetramorium albenae Salata, van Delft & Borowiec sp. n. was collected in a lowland olive grove, a site so far not associated with the Tetramorium inquilinum species-group, from a nest of Tetramorium kephalosi (a new host species for the group). The data presented in this paper provide new insights into the habitat preferences of the species of the Tetramorium inquilinum species-group and extend our knowledge on the potential host species of these parasites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]