ZAGREB ZAGREB, June 2 (Hina) - National co-ordinators of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe commenced their meeting in Zagreb on Friday morning. According to Croatia's national co-ordinator, Vladimir Drobnjak, the Zagreb
event is primarily a preparatory session for the meeting of the Pact's regional table, scheduled for 8 June in Salonika. At Intercontinental Hotel in the Croatian capital, 17 delegations are discussing a draft Agenda for Stability - a plan for the enhancement of the Pact's work - which should be promoted by the Special Co-ordinator Bodo Hombach at the Salonika meeting. In addition, national co-ordinators are considering results of the Pact's fund-raising conference, the necessity to simplify the Pact's financial mechanisms and make them more transparent, modalities for the implementation of the Quick Start Package and processes of reforms in south eastern European cou
ZAGREB, June 2 (Hina) - National co-ordinators of the Stability
Pact for South Eastern Europe commenced their meeting in Zagreb on
Friday morning.
According to Croatia's national co-ordinator, Vladimir Drobnjak,
the Zagreb event is primarily a preparatory session for the meeting
of the Pact's regional table, scheduled for 8 June in Salonika.
At Intercontinental Hotel in the Croatian capital, 17 delegations
are discussing a draft Agenda for Stability - a plan for the
enhancement of the Pact's work - which should be promoted by the
Special Co-ordinator Bodo Hombach at the Salonika meeting. In
addition, national co-ordinators are considering results of the
Pact's fund-raising conference, the necessity to simplify the
Pact's financial mechanisms and make them more transparent,
modalities for the implementation of the Quick Start Package and
processes of reforms in south eastern European countries.
On behalf of the Republic of Croatia that is the host of today's
meeting, Deputy Foreign Minister Vesna Cvjetkovic Kurelec
addressed the delegations.
Croatia welcomes a level of the regional cooperation, encouraged
and generated inside the Stability Pact, and it believes that such a
positive impetus is substantially contributing to the
stabilisation of the region, Cvjetkovic Kurelec said.
She pointed to the growing synergy between the Stability Pact and
the process of stabilisation and association of the European Union.
In this context the Croatian official said her country greeted the
institutionalisation of the relations between the Pact's Special
Co-ordinator and the European Commission, according to plans
defined in the Agenda for Stability.
Commenting on results of the March fund-raising conference, held in
Brussels, Cvjetkovic Kurelec stressed that Croatia, just as other
countries, was looking forward to the implementation of the so-
called Quick Start Package as a basic precondition for the Pact's
success.
The continuation of reforms in south eastern European countries is,
according to her, the only way to show to the international
community that countries in the region are ready to go on with
European and Euro-Atlantic integration processes.
She announced that at the Salonika session Croatia would present a
Report on Progress containing concrete achievements and further
steps. In this manner, Zagreb can re-affirm its commitment to
reforms, Cvjetkovic Kurelec added.
Subsequently the Zagreb meeting of the Pact's national co-
ordinators continued behind the closed doors. This afternoon
Croatian national Co-ordinator Drobnjak is expected to give a
statement to reporters.
Besides the host and delegations of the countries in the region,
present at the Zagreb event are representatives of Portugal, which
is holding the rotating presidency of the EU, France which will
succeed Portugal, United States, European Commission and the
Pact's Secretariat.
(hina) ms,