OPATIJA, Feb 28 (Hina) - Participants in a two-day international conference on transborder regional cooperation, that began in the Croatian seaside resort of Opatija on Saturday, discussed the situation in their countries regarding
regionalism.
OPATIJA, Feb 28 (Hina) - Participants in a two-day international
conference on transborder regional cooperation, that began in the
Croatian seaside resort of Opatija on Saturday, discussed the
situation in their countries regarding regionalism.#L#
The leader of the Reformers party in Vojvodina and Serbia's Vice
Premier, Mile Isakov said that south-eastern European countries should
become aware that they were too small to be an important factor in
Europe, and too big to solve successfully all vital issues of their
citizens. The task of local and regional parties is to make the
countries become aware of this, Isakov said.
Isakov went on to say that Vojvodina had been struggling for its
independence for 15 years and now it only managed to have the status
of an autonomous unit within Serbia. He said that the process of
regionalisation was difficult to conduct in Serbia because of strong
centralistic aspirations.
Branislav Kovacevic of the League for Sumadija said that the biggest
problem in Serbia-Montenegro was to educate citizens about advantages
of regional-oriented development.
Franc Lipold of the League for Primorsko, Slovenia, said that the
definition of centres of future regions should be done in Slovenia.
Speeches were also delivered by Croatian representatives from regional
parties: Slavonia-Baranja Croatian Party (SBHS), the Zagorje
Democratic Party (ZDS) and the Istrian Democratic Alliance (IDS)
(Hina) ms