Initially, when the group was established in 1996, it comprised three countries -- Italy, Hungary and Slovenia -- and the goal was for Italy to assist the other two in integrating into Euro-Atlantic institutions. Croatia joined the group in 2000, at the insistence of Italy and Hungary.
It is now Croatia's turn to join those institutions and presidency of the quadrilateral group will provide an opportunity to step up Croatia's EU accession process as well as major projects such as works on the road corridor 5, stretching from Trieste via Ljubljana, Zagreb and Budapest to Kiev, the meeting heard.
The meeting also addressed the situation in Southeast Europe and the political situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina following Sunday's parliamentary elections.