OHRID OHRID, June 2 (Hina) - Five heads of state of south-eastern European countries gathered in Ohrid, Macedonia, on Monday to adopt a joint strategy ahead of the coming summit of the European Union in Salonika, Greece.
OHRID, June 2 (Hina) - Five heads of state of south-eastern European
countries gathered in Ohrid, Macedonia, on Monday to adopt a joint
strategy ahead of the coming summit of the European Union in
Salonika, Greece. #L#
The Ohrid meeting pooled Macedonian president Boris Trajkovski,
Croatian President Stjepan Mesic, Albanian President Alfred
Moisiu, the President of Serbia-Montenegro, Svetozar Marovic, and
the chairman of Bosnia-Herzegovina's collective Presidency,
Borislav Paravac.
In the course of the day, the participants will sign a joint
statement calling on the EU to immediately begin with a process
designed to bring south-eastern European countries into the Union
in coming years.
Addressing the participants in the Ohrid event, the Croatian head
of state said that the countries in the region, which was called by
some as the western Balkans, had the right to expect of the Salonika
meeting to confirm, first of all and above all, the open doors
policy.
Mesic reiterated that his country favoured the individual approach
towards the EU, as it was confirmed at a summit the EU held in the
autumn of 2000.
This means that each country, a potential candidate or candidate,
will be assessed according to its own achievements and that its
entry into the EU will depend on its individual achievements, Mesic
said.
According to him, the individual approach is not in any way contrary
to the need to develop regional cooperation or to Croatia's sincere
wish to enhance that kind of cooperation.
South-eastern Europe has definitely entered an irreversible
process of normalisation and stabilisation, Mesic said.
He welcomed Belgrade's recent decision to annul visa requirements
for citizens of neighbouring countries and some other states when
they enter Serbia-Montenegro.
Commenting on the coming Salonika summit, the Croatian president
said that they should not go to Greece with too high expectations.
"It is good that ahead of the Salonika event we shall show that our
region is marked by the joint commitment of all its countries to the
European direction and path towards Europe," he said.
"It is up to Europe to use our potentials and it is up to us to fulfil
our commitments," he said.
Mesic will leave the Ohrid summit before its official conclusion
because of his busy schedule in Zagreb.
(hina) ms