The Assembly held a discussion following a report by Hungarian parliamentarian Matyas Eorsij and speeches by Prime Ministers Sali Berisha of Albania and Adnan Terzic of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Eorsij said the report referred to Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia with Kosovo, and Macedonia. Croatia was not mentioned in the adopted resolution after its representatives spoke against the country's inclusion into the western Balkans.
As far as Croatia is concerned, although some maintain that geographically it does not belong to the Balkans and is at a different level of integration with European structures and the EU, it should be stressed that Croatia has a certain role and responsibility for the stability of the western Balkans and that it is under the influence of events in the region, Eorsij said in the report.
The Croatian representatives on the Political Affairs Committee insisted that due to its position and different treatment, it is not appropriate to mention Croatia in other documents in the context of the western Balkans. This proposal was adopted with a majority vote and Croatia is not mentioned in the resolution on the situation in the Balkans.
Although a discussion on Kosovo was taken off today's agenda, Albanian PM Berisha said Albania supported the Contact Group's position on the status of Kosovo and felt that independence was the best solution, with decentralisation of government and protection of all minorities.
Berisha said Montenegro and Macedonia shared a similar opinion, which prompted Serbian parliamentarians to write a letter of protest to Parliamentary Assembly President Rene van der Linden.
The letter said it was inappropriate of the Albanian prime minister to speak on behalf of other states, and recalled a recent joint statement by the foreign ministers from the region which said their countries would accept such a solution for Kosovo that had been arrived at through negotiations and compromise.
The Serbian delegation requested Macedonia and Montenegro to state their positions on the matter.
Bosnian PM Terzic called on European institutions to give stronger support to the pro-European forces in the region. Participants in the discussion said they understood the problems of western Balkan countries.
The EU was requested to persevere with enlargement and the region's countries to do more in the development of democracy, rule of law and protection of human rights.
It was said that leaving Balkan countries out of integration processes would reinforce nationalist forces in the region.
Our common goal is to ensure a stable western Balkans and avert a new cycle of instability, the resolution said, adding that Europe must understand that it is in its interest to have a stable Balkans as a neighbour.