Bridging Frontlines

As Europe confronts a shifting geopolitical landscape, the stability and strategic alignment of countries at and close to its frontline have become central to the continent’s future security architecture. Bridging Frontlines is a project that seeks to identify and advance practical forms of engagement with Europe’s wider neighbourhood as a strategic priority. Rather than focusing exclusively on long-term institutional integration, the project explores opportunities for targeted collaboration between the EU and neighbouring countries that can be implemented in the near term and that complement — rather than replace — the enlargement process. Visible success stories create appetite: when cooperation between the EU and its partners produces visible and measurable benefits, it can strengthen political and public support for closer alignment with Europe, and help reduce the space for competing external influences. Our project focuses on Ukraine and Moldova, Belarus, the South Caucasus (Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan), the Western Balkan partners (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia), as well as Turkey as a major strategic neighbour and economic partner of the EU.

Our Team

Bridging Frontlines is a project hosted by ECIPE and will gradually expand to include a wider network of scholars, policymakers, and practitioners working on Europe’s strategic neighbourhood. The project is led by Tengiz Pkhaladze and Philipp Lamprecht as Project Directors. Tengiz Pkhaladze oversees the work focusing on Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, Turkey and the South Caucasus, while Philipp Lamprecht coordinates the work related to the Western Balkans. A network of associated scholars and regional experts contributes to the projects activities. Our dedicated programme website publishes research outputs, policy briefs, and project updates while targeted outreach activities ensure dissemination of the project’s findings.

Messages from the Project Directors