Constructivist Approach to Western Balkans’ Contribution Towards Peace and Stability

The security environment of the Western Balkans, following the dismantling of Yugoslavia and the nations quest for sovereignty, brought to the fore a growing role of the international community as a socializing power capable of encouraging the governments in the region to adopt liberal democracy values and furthermore develop capabilities to enable them to contribute to peace and stability missions abroad. Almost two decades later, the Westerns Balkan countries, once consumers of security, gradually transform and reform their security architectures and develop deployable forces capable of exporting security. The participation in NATO, EU, UN–led missions represents an avenue that Western Balkans countries employ to demonstrate their willingness to export stability and concurrently develop capacities and capabilities up to par to ensure interoperability and compatibility with allies and partners. We leverage assumptions from the constructivist school of thought and argue that this interest will be sustained and will not prove elusive as the countries from the region join the Alliance. Due to NATO’s long-term presence and the advanced level of internalization of shared ideas, norms and values, the countries in the region decide to maintain an increased level of troop contribution to NATO-led missions abroad. Thus, it is within the realm of constructivist school of thought that we find sufficient assumptions to explain the Western Balkans increasing interest to export stability, by participating in missions abroad, and argue that it will be sustained beyond obtaining full-fledged membership.