"We have shown that politics and profession are not always opposed interests in this region and that we can listen to and understand one another," Mesic told participants in the summit, which was attended by five other heads of state, two ministers, a state secretary and two ambassadors from countries in the region, the UNESCO director-general and the Council of Europe secretary-general.
Mesic said he was glad that the Opatija summit had linked "European and national" interests showing that they can coexist and be complementary rather than mutually limiting.
UNESCO general-director Koichiro Matsuura said that the Opatija summit was very successful and that conclusions from its closing declaration should be implemented, but that one should also turn to other areas of cooperation such as education, science and technology.
Council of Europe secretary-general Terry Davis commended the organisation of the summit and of the three previous summits, held in Ohrid, Tirana and Varna. He said the summits were marked by continuity, the establishment of cultural corridors in Southeast Europe, and partnership between the Council of Europe, UNESCO and the European Commission.
After the official part of the summit, the participants left for the town of Porec, where they were due to visit the Basilica of Euphrasius, one of the six Croatian monuments on UNESCO's world heritage list.