SEECP SUMMIT IN TIRANA ENDS WITH ADOPTION OF FINAL DECLARATION

TIRANA, March 28 (Hina) - Southeast Europe's countries committed in Tirana on Thursday to further developing regional cooperation and building regional security in the service of peace, stability, and sustainable development in the region. #L# Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece, Macedonia, Romania, Yugoslavia and Turkey participated in the Fifth South East Europe Co-operation Process (SEECP) Summit. Croatia attended as observer. The SEECP members adopted a final document which points to SEECP's importance as an instrument of regional cooperation. They unreservedly supported the struggle against terrorism and organised crime, and pointed to the need of quick action in the reconstruction and building of regional infrastructure. The countries also supported suggestions to consider the establishment of a parliamentary assembly within the SEECP. The final declaration welcomes the Serbia-Montenegro agreement on their relations as an important contribution to the establishment of regional stability. The document applauds recent elections and progress in Kosovo, and the defusing of the Macedonian crisis. The SEECP members also welcome the efforts and progress the region's countries made in integration into Euro-Atlantic institutions. The document applauds the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe's willingness to intensify ties with the SEECP as the coordinated voice of the region. SEECP's new chair, Yugoslavia, has been bound to consider the modalities of this cooperation. The next summit is to be held in Belgrade in 2003. On the margins of the summit, Croatian President Stjepan Mesic held meetings with Albanian counterpart Rexep Meidani, Bulgaria's Georgij Parvanov, Macedonia's Boris Trajkovski, and the chairman of Bosnia's Presidency, Beriz Belkic. (hina) ha