CEI AGAINST TERRORISM, CRIME AND ILLEGAL MIGRATIONS

SKOPJE, Nov 15 (Hina) - The prime ministers of Central European Initiative (CEI) member-countries welcomed in Skopje on Friday the imminent admission of some member-countries to the European Union and NATO, calling for fighting international terrorism, organised crime, human and drug smuggling, and illegal migrations, and urging better regional security. #L# At the end of a summit that was held in the Macedonian capital, senior CEI officials adopted a declaration welcoming the conclusions of the European Council of October 25 which call on CEI members - the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Slovenia - to join the EU. The declaration also noted that the process of stabilisation and association had significantly contributed to overall stability. Participants in the summit welcomed proposals for stregthening cooperation between NATO and CEI member-countries which are not NATO members. The prime ministers called on member-countries to continue taking decisive action to meet current challenges, including the stregthening of the rule-of-law, decreasing the danger of new ethnic clashes and social isolation caused by poverty and unemployment. The Skopje summit was attended by representatives of the 17 CEI member-states, including the prime ministers of Italy, Slovakia, Ukraine, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Macedonia. Representatives of the EU, European Commission, OSCE, Council of Europe, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Stability Pact for South-East Europe and the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative were guests at the summit. Croatia's representative at the event was Foreign Minister Tonino Picula. (hina) rml sb