SALZBURG: FURTHER EFFORTS REQUIRED TO STABILISE SOUTHEAST EUROPE

SALZBURG, July 3 (Hina) - The situation in Southeast Europe is stabilising but the conflicts in Macedonia indicate the crisis in the region has still not been solved, participants in a debate on Southeast Europe said in Salzburg on Tuesday. The leaders of several countries in Europe's southeast, including Croatian President Stipe Mesic, and representatives of European institutions debated the situation in Southeast Europe and prospects for the region, as part of a European economy summit. The situation in the region has improved in relation to a few years ago, but the explosive situation in Macedonia indicates the international community's engagement is not over yet, the participants in the debate concluded. According to Slovenia's Prime Minister Janez Drnovsek, the international community should concentrate on Macedonia in an effort to reach a political solution to the conflict between Macedonia's Slavs and Albanians. "The international community should organise a conference on Macedonia, where the situation is hazardous," he said. Croatia's President Mesic said Southeast Europe had not been completely pacified or politically defined. He advocated settling political issues in Macedonia through dialogue and called on the international community to help the two sides in the process. According to Albania's President Rexep Meidani, the very notion of a multiethnic society is not understood in Macedonia. "The conflict should be settled through political means, with international assistance," he said. The participants in the debate maintain the international community, the European Union and NATO in particular, must resume its engagement to lead to the democratic and economic change of the region. The countries in question should pursue with political and economic reforms. The Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe's special coordinator, Bodo Hombach, said the region's countries were making headway, as seen in the fact that all want to join the EU and agree to the joining conditions set before them. He advocated expediting the implementation of what the EU agreed on with the region's countries, as well as resuming political and economic reforms. According to Mesic, the inclusion of the region's countries into Europe is crucial for resolving the region's problems. "Depending on the pace of democratisation in each country, and in the region as a whole, and depending on the speed of rapprochement with the (EU), Southeast Europe has every chance to become just a geographical reference and stop being synonymous with a crisis spot," said Mesic. He added cooperation among the region's countries would play a significant part in this. Jean Lamierre, the president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, agreed the situation in the region was improving, but said Macedonia should be helped to overcome the crisis. He maintains the region will make real progress only with the help of Western Europe's private sector's investments in the region's countries. Speaking about the situation in Croatia, President Mesic said the opportunity had been wasted "in the (new government's) first 100 days to take radical steps and provide the population with the real and complete picture of the situation that was encountered, regardless of how dramatic and bad it was." "The authorities changed but nothing changed much in citizens' lives, who expected immediate changes. That is why now there is dissatisfaction," said Mesic. Speaking about ideas in the international community about organising a new Balkan confederation, the Slovene PM Drnovsek described them as premature. There are two approaches to a possible Balkan confederation, he said. The first one wants to preserve the political status quo and borders, while the other one views attempts to build a multiethnic society in Bosnia and elsewhere as taking too long, too expensive, and scarce in results. Drnovsek maintains neither should be endorsed at present. He did say, however, that multiethnic societies did not have an alternative in Southeast Europe. Mesic and Drnovsek said the region should be given some more answers, first of all on Yugoslavia's status, i.e. Serbia- Montenegro relations, and the status of Kosovo. Mesic reiterated his earlier assessment that the Dayton peace agreement in Bosnia had not been fully implemented. It should be carried out and then discussed whether to expand or change it, he said. (hina) ha sb