EKSKLUZIVNO: DR NINA MARKOVIĆ HAZE, ODRŽAĆE PREDAVANJE U SIDNEJU NA TEMU “NEDOVRŠENA GRANICA EVROPE: ZAPADNI BALKAN IZMEĐU BRISELA, PEKINGA I MOSKVE”

The Australian Institute of International Affairs NSW invites you to:

Europe’s Unfinished Frontier: the Western Balkans between Brussels, Beijing, and Moscow

The Western Balkans are once again emerging as a strategic crossroads in Europe. Countries such as Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro and Albania pursue European Union integration, yet their political cultures, regional rivalries and historical legacies continue to shape engagement with global powers. The region is influenced by the ongoing effects of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the emerging conflict involving Israel, the United States and Iran. At the same time, China has cultivated some of its closest European partners in Serbia, Croatia and Albania through major infrastructure, technology and connectivity projects – including the Belgrade-Budapest Railway – strengthening its strategic foothold in Southeast Europe.

In this address, Dr Nina Markovic Khaze will examine how Western Balkan states navigate these competing pressures while pursuing European integration. She will assess China’s growing influence in the region, its implications for NATO and the European security architecture, and how the Balkans are evolving into a critical geopolitical pivot linking Europe, Eurasia and the Mediterranean. This discussion offers timely insights for policymakers, diplomats and security practitioners seeking to understand Europe’s emerging strategic frontiers.

Dr Nina Markovic Khaze is a scholar of European foreign and security policy with expertise in the geopolitics of south-eastern Europe, EU external action, and great-power competition. She holds a PhD in Political Science from the Australian National University and has held academic positions at Macquarie University and the University of New South Wales. She was a senior researcher in the foreign affairs, defence, and security section at Federal Parliament and served as Vice-President of the ACT Branch of the Australian Institute of International Affairs.

Her latest manuscript, Australian Migration Files (co-edited with Adam Khaze) explores the intersections of migration policy, national identity, and security narratives in Australia. She is a regular contributor to the Lowy Interpreter, Australian Outlook and peer-reviewed journals and policy platforms on topics such as EU enlargement, China’s influence in the Balkans, and strategic competition in Europe. In journalism and in addresses to universities, think tanks and government forums, she has provided strategic perspectives on Europe’s role in global geopolitics and commentary on foreign affairs and security issues.

Outside academia, she contributes to US-Australian biotech partnership and has co-founded and led an Australian start-up and a national charity focused on food allergies and microbiome well-being.

Date: Tuesday, 31 March, 2026

Time: 6:00 pm – 7.30 pm

Cost in person at Glover Cottages:
AIIA NSW members $15.00;
Senior/Student members $10.00; 
Non-members  $30.00;
Non-member seniors/students $15.00;
Non-member Consular Corps $15.00

Registration is necessary for catering purposes.
 

REGISTRATION CLOSES AT 4:00PM AEST ON Tuesday, March 31

We welcome participants in-person at the Glover Cottages, tickets to be pre-paid. Once the limit for in-person attendees is reached, tickets will no longer be sold on the website or at the door.

Refreshments will be served from 6pm at Glover Cottages. The event will start at 6.30pm, Tuesday March 17.

PLEASE REGISTER  by clicking here
or EMAIL ACCEPTANCE to nswexec@internationalaffairs.org.au  

For further information please email nswexec@internationalaffairs.org.au