The Croatian premier reiterated that his cabinet was fully committed to cooperation in the region, adding that the peoples in the region should show that being inspired by their past they could promote cooperation in the region.
It is of vital importance for all countries in this part of Europe to retain unequivocal prospects of full membership in the European Union, Sanader said adding that the project of the Union could not be complete without southeastern Europe.
UNESCO Director-General Koichiro Matsuura said that the summit in the northern Croatian coastal resort of Opatija offered exceptional possibilities for analysing major characteristics of cultural corridors and the fundamental role which the cultural heritage had in the development of southeastern Europe.
He stressed that 59 cultural and natural monuments from southeastern Europe were entered into the UNESCO List of Cultural Heritage.
An additional 100 localities are possible nominations for entries to the list.
The Secretary-General of the Council of Europe, Terry Davis, told participants in the summit that this was the fourth meeting of this kind which was turning into traditional conferences at which heads of state or government from the region convene to assess that the common heritage was something which all should enjoy.
Croatian President Stjepan Mesic agreed during the summit's first plenary session that the cultural cooperation of this region had already shown that common cultural circles and parts of the joint history could serve as a basis for new joint topics of cooperation.