Organised crime in the Balkans: pitfalls of threat assessment

Book synopsis: This collection gathers contributions by international authors addressing specific security challenges in Southeastern Europe. The authors include Aleksandar Fatic, Dimitar Bechev, Srdjan Vucetic, Emilian Kavalski, Angel Angelov, Othon Anastasakis, Ulf Brunnbauer, Denisa Kostovicova, Niklas Dem-Ang Arvanites, Sappho Xenakis, Bojan Dimitrijevic and Emma Stewart. The book deals with an array of issues including the geo-strategic challenges the region faces today, its inter-state relations in the current era, possibilities of creating regional cooperation entities, the Euro-Atlantic relations as they affect this part of Europe in specific. Special attention is devoted to the role of NATO expansion in the Balkans and the role of Greece as a regional power in these territories, problems arising from the Macedonian continuing quest of recognised statehood, Serbia's troublosome democratisation attempts, the Kosovo issue, organised crime and social conflict. The book is relevant for students of area studies, as well as those of security as a general theme