"We encourage the strengthening of the leadership role of the SEECP in the future of regional cooperation in South Eastern Europe and the establishment of the Regional Cooperation Council as a step that will ensure continued effective coordination of common efforts of the SEECP Participating States, the EU and the international partners," reads a declaration adopted at the end of the conference "The New South Eastern Europe: Role of the Parliaments".
The parliament speakers supported the continuation of the process of EU enlargement to Southeast Europe.
"We underline the importance of the EU enlargement to South Eastern Europe as a key motivation to stability, security, prosperity and further enhancement of regional cooperation and good neighbourly relations and we welcome the fact that two of the SEECP Participating States (Bulgaria and Romania) recently became Member States."
European Parliament Vice-President Angel Miguel Martinez and a deputy in the German Parliament, Klaus-Peter Willsch, whose country is the current EU chair, supported the European prospects of Southeast Europe.
Participants in the sixth regional conference confirmed in the declaration that the EU membership of all Southeast European countries was the best incentive and framework for a lasting peace, stability and cooperation in the region.
They also underlined the role and responsibility of national parliaments in strengthening regional cooperation, particularly in promoting democracy, political and social dialogue, protection of human and minority rights, and stimulation of economic growth.
The conference welcomed the progress Southeast Europe has achieved in strengthening democracy, stability, prosperity, good neighbourly relations, regional cooperation and integration into European and Euro-Atlantic institutions.
The declaration underlines the importance of Kosovo being a democratic, multiethnic society based on the rule of law.
"We continue to advocate the need for a measured, balanced and realistic approach as we agreed upon the value of a compromise solution, in the interest of both sides and the region as a whole."
The SEECP parliament speakers welcomed the intention expressed at the NATO Riga Summit to invite at the forthcoming 2008 summit those SEECP countries that meet NATO standards.
Southeast Europe is assuming leadership and responsibility for its future and parliaments play the key role in that process, which is necessary for the accomplishment of a common goal - membership of Euro-Atlantic associations, participants in the conference agreed before the adoption of the declaration.
Earlier in the day, the conference was addressed by a deputy to the Special Coordinator of the Stability Pact for Southeast Europe, Michael Mozur, who said that the Zagreb conference was of historic importance because it was being held in the context of fundamental progress in the way how Southeast European countries were addressing common topics and problems.
Cooperation in Southeast Europe is motivated by the countries' aspirations to join Euro-Atlantic associations, Mozur said.
The conference was also addressed by Sotirios Hatzigakis, the Vice-President of the Greek Parliament, whose country chaired the SEECP before Croatia, and the last member of the SEECP Troika, Bulgarian Parliament Speaker Georgi Pirinski, whose country takes over SEECP chairmanship from Croatia in May.
The SEECP made a decision to establish a permanent secretariat for the parliamentary dimension of the SEECP in Sofia. The secretariat will coordinate cooperation between countries in the region and European institutions, primarily at the parliamentary level, but also at other levels.
The Zagreb conference was attended by parliament speakers or their representatives from Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Germany, Greece, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, and Turkey, as well as by representatives of the European Parliament, the OSCE, the Western European Union, the Stability Pact and the UN Mission in Kosovo.