CENTRAL EUROPEAN INITIATIVE IN SESSION

KARLOVY VARY, June 24 (Hina) - Foreign ministers of 16 member- countries of the Central European Initiative (CEI), or their deputies, held a meeting in the Czech town of Karlovy Vary on Thursday. A Croatian delegation at the CEI symposium was headed by Foreign Minister Mate Granic. Ministers will discuss a CEI role within the Stability Pact for Southeast Europe, including the Kosovo crisis, as well as the political and security situation in CEI member-countries and their economic relations. This is the first ministerial gathering of a regional initiative which will have a role in the implementation of the Stability Pact and will participate in working tables on democracy and human rights, economic reconstruction, development and cooperation, as well as security issues. The CEI ministers are expected to adopt a final document of the symposium, and a joint statement on a role of the CEI within the Stability Pact. Minister Ganic will hold a series of bilateral talks during the day. In addition to Croatia, other CEI member-countries are the Czech Republic, Hungary, Albania, Austria, Byelorussia, Bosnia- Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Italy, Moldavia, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Ukraine Representatives of the European Commission, the UN Economic Commission for Europe, the Council of Europe, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the EU representative for Kosovo, Wolfgang Petritsch, are also invited to attended the meeting in Karlovy Vary. (hina) it