ZAGREB, Oct 6 (Hina) - By investing efforts to make the Danube a river of peace, all members of the Danube Basin Countries Working Community wish to jointly respond to global challenges and participate in shaping the future of Europe
of the third millennium, of which the Danube Basin area is an important part, reads a statement issued by the Community after a two-day conference at Zagreb's Intercontinental hotel on Friday. Participants in the meeting discussed issues such as improving the cooperation between Danubian regions in economy and culture and, in particular, environmental protection. The conference which ended today marks the end of Croatia's chairmanship over the Working Community. In the statement, heads of state and government expressed confidence that more advanced forms of trans-border cooperation represent the best foundation for progress in permanent processes of integration which are curr
CONFERENCE OF DANUBE BASIN COUNTRIES WORKING COMMUNITY ENDS
ZAGREB, Oct 6 (Hina) - By investing efforts to make the Danube a
river of peace, all members of the Danube Basin Countries Working
Community wish to jointly respond to global challenges and
participate in shaping the future of Europe of the third
millennium, of which the Danube Basin area is an important part,
reads a statement issued by the Community after a two-day
conference at Zagreb's Intercontinental hotel on Friday.
Participants in the meeting discussed issues such as improving the
cooperation between Danubian regions in economy and culture and, in
particular, environmental protection.
The conference which ended today marks the end of Croatia's
chairmanship over the Working Community.
In the statement, heads of state and government expressed
confidence that more advanced forms of trans-border cooperation
represent the best foundation for progress in permanent processes
of integration which are currently underway in Europe.
This is why they have decided to "cooperate more closely and
efficiently so that the process of the entire region covered by the
Working Community joining the European Union could be accelerated
and the region become an area of stability and increased
prosperity."
The conference also tackled current events in the Federal Republic
of Yugoslavia.
Croatia's Deputy Foreign Minister Vesna Cvjetkovic Kurelec
reminded that Croatian President Stipe Mesic and Prime Minister
Ivica Racan had already given statements regarding that matter and
she expressed hope that changes in the country would end in a
democratic way, which would be in the interest of all, including
Croatia.
The prefects of Croatia's two Danubian counties said they had
forwarded an appeal to Serbian representatives for their country to
return artefacts stolen from the Vukovar town museum and the
Franciscan monastery.
Asked at what level Serbian representatives participated in the
Zagreb meeting, an official at the Foreign Ministry, Andrej
Plenkovic, said Serbia was one of the founders of the Working
Community. Its membership was suspended in 1992 and the country
returned to the Community in 1996. He added Serbia was represented
at the Zagreb meeting at the level of charges d'affaires.
The chairmanship of the Working Community was taken over by the
Bulgarian region of Ruse today.
(hina) jn rml