In January 2026, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia announced that, for the first time in the region, an institution would organize and host this caliber of Academy. Through a novel, specialized, and contemporary model, it aims to enhance participants' skills and managerial capabilities. At the time, the CCIS also announced that attendees would include senior executives from chambers of commerce, businesses, state institutions, and related bodies, providing an up-to-date look at the latest trends in negotiation, decision-making, and conflict resolution. Due to rigorous eligibility criteria, the CCIS noted that the number of participants would be limited. Dr. Jelisaveta Georgieva-Jovevska, Advisor to the President for Economic Development and Infrastructure at the Economic Chamber of North Macedonia—as well as a licensed mediator and certified mediator trainer—submitted an application and was selected as the sole participant from our country, representing tangible added value for the Economic Chamber of North Macedonia.

The cohort—comprising managers from major domestic and multinational corporations in Serbia, private business executives, and chamber representatives engaged in commercial, public-private, and international initiatives—had the opportunity to work alongside leading international negotiation authorities. Among them was Dr. Francesco Marchi, an internationally recognized expert specializing in complex negotiations, conflict resolution, and strategic facilitation; Director of Negotiation Expertise at ALTERNEGO in France; lecturer at Sciences Po and the Sorbonne; advisor to EU institutions; and founder of the European Negotiation Association (ENEA).

Why Did the CCIS Design This Program, and Why Did We Join?

The Western Balkans region is undergoing significant economic transformation, marked by new investment waves and accelerated alignment with EU standards. In this environment, the capacity to build and sustain trust, conduct constructive dialogue, and negotiate successfully becomes decisive for the sustainable development of companies and public institutions. The Balkan Negotiation Academy specifically targets these core competencies through:

·       Simulations of real-world negotiation scenarios

·       Hands-on casework based on practical business cases

·       Expert-led guidance and analysis of negotiation processes

·       Actionable strategies immediately applicable in professional practice

"The program of the Balkan Negotiation Academy was designed to bolster the negotiation capabilities of key stakeholders across Western Balkan countries, with an emphasis on business leaders and public officials. Its strategic goals are to enhance individual and team negotiation skills through cutting-edge tools, methodologies, proactive communication, consensus building, and joint problem-solving; to facilitate strategic dialogue between the private and public sectors to foster mutual understanding and achieve enhanced economic performance that benefits everyone, alongside cultural cohesion, coordinated action, and institutional ties; and to forge an enduring professional network of negotiators and decision-makers throughout the Western Balkans, creating a shared forum for exchanging best practices, driving regional cooperation, and securing long-term collaboration with European partners." — Dr. Jelisaveta Georgieva-Jovevska, Academy Participant.

The curriculum of the Balkan Negotiation Academy took place in Belgrade from May to September 2026, structured across three separate days and encompassing six thematic modules totaling 21 training hours.

The Balkan Negotiation Academy is a structured training program grounded in the innovative "Highly Reliable Negotiation Framework" (HRNF)* methodology, designed to empower participants to:

-        Enhance their proficiency in conducting complex negotiations

-        Develop dependable negotiation protocols and decision-making skills under conditions of pressure and uncertainty

-        Develop concrete tools and techniques directly applicable in the field

-        Connect with regional and European professional networks, including the European Negotiation Association (ENEA)

* The Highly Reliable Negotiation Framework (HRNF) is a negotiation methodology centered on instilling systematic consistency and measurability across the entire negotiation lifecycle. It guides participants through six core, integrated phases: Diagnosis, Preparation, Negotiation, Execution, Evaluation, and Application, enabling them to anticipate risks, uphold commitments, and translate negotiations into actionable outcomes with their desired results.

Dr. Francesco Marchi is a negotiation scholar, practitioner, and the creator of the "Highly Reliable Negotiation Framework." He earned his PhD in Political Science from Sciences Po Paris and has taught advanced negotiation at the postgraduate level for fifteen years—serving as a visiting professor at the College of Europe (Bruges) and lecturing at Sciences Po–PSIA and the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne. He is also a certified mediator accredited by the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR) in London.

His research reframes negotiation dynamics as an organizational system of reliability, validated through a comprehensive field study involving 500 professionals. He is the founder and president of the European Negotiation Association and served as Scientific Chair for the European Negotiation Conference (ENEA) in 2025 and 2026.

Dr. Marchi has designed bespoke negotiation training and consulting programs for European Union institutions (including the European Commission, the General Secretariat of the Council, the EEAS, and the European Parliament) as well as multinational enterprises across various sectors, spanning pharmaceuticals to private banking in over 20 countries.