The conference, held under the auspices of the German Government, pooled prime ministers from Southeast Europe and Germany's leading economy and banking representatives. Croatia's delegation was led by PM Ivo Sanader.
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said in his opening address the conference was sending a clear signal and showed Southeast Europe's expectations of Germany and of economic cooperation with it. He added it also provided German business people with new opportunities.
Schroeder said the important thing was that everything was in the mutual interest, namely the creation of win-win situations, because Germany did not want to only profit but also contribute to the economic stability, and the ensuing political security, of Southeast Europe.
Schroeder said Europe could not isolate itself from the problems and conflicts in the Balkans, which he added was why the EU and NATO decided to apply a twofold strategy -- the military stabilisation and integration of the western Balkans through the harmonisation of economic and political standards -- to which he said the Berlin conference contributed.
Schroeder said the reconciliation gestures made recently by the prime ministers of Croatia and Serbia and Montenegro showed that the decision was a good one.
The German chancellor reiterated Europe supported the integration of the entire western Balkan region, but at different paces, set by each country with its accomplishments. He said that in this context Germany insisted that Croatia's EU entry talks started no later than March 2005.
The regional prime ministers made brief presentations of their countries' economic potentials, and underlined that their political priority was integration into the EU.
Croatia's Sanader said united Europe could not be complete without its southeast, which received a round of applause from all participants.
Speaking of the EU's December 17 summit, Sanader said he expected it to define more precisely the status of Croatia's neighbours in the EU integration process, and to give Croatia a date for entry talks by March 2005.
Sanader also spoke of Croatian Government measures aimed at stimulating economic growth and investments, highlighting those aimed at reducing red tape and strengthening legal security.
At the end of the plenary part of the conference, before returning to Croatia, Sanader met his Montenegrin counterpart Milo Djukanovic.
The conference resumes tomorrow, with three forums, on a borderless market, free trade in Southeast Europe, and investing in the region.
According to German Economy Ministry state secretary Rezzo Schlauch, the conference was organised as part of the German Economy's Foreign Offensive and focuses on encouraging cooperation between Germany's medium-sized enterprises with countries in Southeast Europe.