Opening the conference called "New South East Europe: Role of the Parliaments", Croatian Parliament Speaker Vladimir Seks recalled that the Zagreb event was being held this year when the European Union was marking its 50th anniversary.
We know that in the origins of this great idea of uniting Europe was a vision. The historical justification and political far-reaching consequences of the vision of the Europe based on unity in freedom, democracy, equality and respect fort ethnic, human and minority rights and of this development in peace have been confirmed by this half of a century, said Seks, the conference's host.
Our region has until recently been excluded from this historical European transformation. But breaking away from the tragedies of recent wars and gradually overcoming old prejudges and stereotypes and confirming - gradually and not always without difficulty - our readiness to adopt standards and values of the European Union and Euro-Atlantic community of the free world, our countries are today taking part in shaping this great project of the united Europe, the Croatian parliamentary speaker said adding that this was the guiding principle of the Croatian presidency over the SEECP.
The Croatian Parliament recognises a new political era, supports the policy of admission into the European Union and the policy of strengthening the cooperation in southeastern Europe, he added.
The sixth SEECP parliamentary conference is expected to reaffirm the position that the prospective membership of all southeastern European Countries in the European Union as the best way to encourage a permanent peace, stability and cooperation in the region.
The event emphasises the importance of the role of national parliaments in the process of strengthening the regional cooperation, notably in promotion of democracy, political and social dialogue, the protection of human and minority rights and in economic growth.
The conference will end with the adoption of a declaration calling for the strengthening of a leading role of the SEECP in future regional cooperation and backing the establishment of a Regional Cooperation Council.
The conference gathered parliament speakers or their representatives from Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Greece, Croatia, Macedonia, Moldavia, Romania, Turkey and Germany, the current chair of the EU, as well as European Parliament officials and representatives of the OSCE, Western European Union, the Stability Pact, and the UN Mission in Kosovo.