DUBROVNIK, May 31 (Hina) - South Eastern European countries' joint problems ranging from security, economy to the fight against crime must be solved through cooperation, NATO Secretary General George Robertson said in Dubrovnik on
Thursday afternoon explaining thus his statement he gave in Zagreb that South Eastern European countries need to be united. There must be a direction for greater rapprochement between those countries like EU member-state, Robertson told reporters pointing out the importance of a Budapest document signed by the countries in the region two days ago. The document dealing with cooperation and security, in which the countries-signatories assumed commitment that they would no longer be a threat to one another, presents a great step forward in the rapprochement process, the Briton said. Robertson added that the countries in the region should promote their economi
DUBROVNIK, May 31 (Hina) - South Eastern European countries' joint
problems ranging from security, economy to the fight against crime
must be solved through cooperation, NATO Secretary General George
Robertson said in Dubrovnik on Thursday afternoon explaining thus
his statement he gave in Zagreb that South Eastern European
countries need to be united.
There must be a direction for greater rapprochement between those
countries like EU member-state, Robertson told reporters pointing
out the importance of a Budapest document signed by the countries in
the region two days ago.
The document dealing with cooperation and security, in which the
countries-signatories assumed commitment that they would no longer
be a threat to one another, presents a great step forward in the
rapprochement process, the Briton said.
Robertson added that the countries in the region should promote
their economic cooperation and enhance the cooperation of police to
thwart 'the criminal fraternity' that transformed the region in a
country in an economic sense. All the countries in the region should
take more joint efforts to tackle crime and promote business
cooperation, which will make more sense rather than when each of
them works on its own, he said.
Commenting on the current situation in Macedonia, NATO Secretary
General said Skopje was given assistance in the sense of more
aggressive control of its border and was offered assistance from
NATO member-countries individually.
Commenting on the possibilities of the partition between
Montenegro and Serbia, Robertson said he hoped Montenegrin
President Milo Djukanovic would strike up a dialogue with
democratically elected authorities in Belgrade, as everybody was
in favour of settling the matter through dialogue without hasty
unilateral moves.
With his speech in Dubrovnik, Robertson wrapped up an international
four-day conference entitled 'Key Steps for European Integration:
Promoting Peace and Prosperity in South East Europe'. The event was
organised by the Croatian Institute for International Relations
(IMO) together with the British Foreign Office's agency called
Wilton Park and held under the sponsorship of the Croatian
ministries of foreign affairs, defence and European integration.
(hina) sb ms