The Regional Table has confirmed that regional cooperation in the fields of political stability and economic progress is an important prerequisite for the countries' efforts to join the European Union and NATO, the Croatian minister said on this occasion.
The member countries reached a consensus on accepting the motion that Hido Biscevic, the state secretary of the Croatian Foreign Affairs and European Integration Ministry, be appointed secretary-general of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) and that the RCC headquarters be situated in the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo. These motions should be officially endorsed at a summit of the Southeast European Cooperation Process (SEECP), to be held in Zagreb on Friday.
The RCC is expected to gradually take over activities from the remit of the Stability Pact and start operating in early 2008.
After the meeting, Co-ordinator Busek told a news conference that Southeastern Europe had proved that it could cooperate very well in solving regional problems, which was why it got the Regional Cooperation Council, its own mechanism for tackling regional challenges.
The Regional Table is the highest political and administrative forum of the Stability Pact. Its meetings are held twice a year. The 13th meeting in Zagreb was held ahead of a ministerial conference and summit meeting of the Southeast European Cooperation Process (SEECP), to take place in Zagreb on Thursday and Friday respectively.
The Regional Table also agreed on a model for financing the RCC.
The countries in the region will ensure one third of the funds for this purpose, and the European Commission and donor-countries the other two thirds, Busek said and announced a special meeting of the Stability Pact's Regional Table for February 2008, when it would transfer its powers to the RCC.
European Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn told the news conference that in the eight years of its existence the Stability Pact had made considerable progress, and that the establishment of the RCC and transition to the regional ownership of political cooperation were proceeding more smoothly than expected.
The Zagreb meeting of the Stability Pact's Regional Table gathered about 200 participants from more than 80 countries and organisations.