ZAGREB, July 28 (Hina) - A declaration of the Sarajevo summit, which is to adopted on Friday by leaders of 28 countries - members of the Pact for Stability in South-eastern Europe - contains a summary of the most important elements of
the Pact, confirms the resoluteness of participants to carry out it and gives the initial dynamics for the operationalisation of the Pact, said a source in the diplomatic circles in Zagreb on Wednesday.
ZAGREB, July 28 (Hina) - A declaration of the Sarajevo summit, which
is to adopted on Friday by leaders of 28 countries - members of the
Pact for Stability in South-eastern Europe - contains a summary of
the most important elements of the Pact, confirms the resoluteness
of participants to carry out it and gives the initial dynamics for
the operationalisation of the Pact, said a source in the diplomatic
circles in Zagreb on Wednesday.#L#
The declaration has 15 points. Fourteen have been fully harmonised
at Tuesday's meeting of political directors of participant-
countries in Brussels, whereas the fifteenth point referring to
Yugoslavia's participation in the Stability Pact is still open.
Croatia has played a role equally important as other participants
during the preparation of the declaration just as during the
preparation of the Pact.
Croatian diplomatic sources have voiced satisfaction with the fact
that, at Croatia's proposal, a point has been included in the
document which confirms the Euro-Atlantic dimension of the Pact and
readiness of the European Union (EU) member-states to help
participants in the Pact to join European institutions. It also
confirms the freedom of choice of each country with respect to
admission into certain security arrangements and certain
associations. This means that nothing can be imposed on a country
what it does not want, according to the source in the Croatian
Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
It took 15 hours in Brussels to harmonise a text of the declaration.
What left unfinished is only the point containing conditions for
and time of allowing Yugoslavia to enter the Pact. According to the
diplomatic source, there have been differences in stands of the
United States, Russia and Albania on the formulation of that part of
the text. It is certain that Montenegro can use the Pact before, but
it cannot be a participant.
Neither the declaration nor the Pact can impose internationally
legal obligations on the Pact's participants.
The Pact's Coordinator, German diplomat Bodo Hobach, is likely to
convene a first meeting of the regional table for the Pact's
implementation, in September in Brussels. It is to be at a
ministerial level.
Besides, a regional donors' conference will be held to help conduct
the Pact, but for the time being it is not scheduled when and where
the conference can be organised. This matter will be discussed at a
working table on the economic development of south-eastern
European countries. According to unofficial information, Italy is
interested to organise such conference.
The Sarajevo summit is on Thursday and Friday.
Thursday's meeting, which will be chaired by Marti Ahtisaari,
President of Finland which is presiding over the EU - the carrier of
the entire project - will attract representatives of south-eastern
European countries which take part in the Pact. They are expected to
outline their views on where priority should be given in respect of
the operational conduct of the Pact.
On Friday, heads of state will hold a meeting to endorse the
Sarajevo summit's declaration.
Croatia will be represented by President Franjo Tudjman and Foreign
Minister Mate Granic.
The basic concept of the Stability Pact is the joint action of a
certain number of countries and international institutions in
stimulating democratisation, economic prosperity and security
with the aim of stabilising the south-east of Europe in order that
individual countries in the region can join Euro-Atlantic and other
integration processes, according to their choice and wish.
The Pact cannot be signed as it has no character of an
internationally legal contract, but it holds political and moral
obligations.
It includes 28 countries - 15 EU member-states, the United States,
Russia, Canada, Japan, Slovenia, Hungary, Croatia, Bosnia-
Herzegovina, Macedonia, Albania, Turkey, Romania and Bulgaria - as
well as a few important international financial institutions such
as the World Bank and the European Bank for the Reconstruction and
Development. In addition, there are several countries with the
status of observers such as Switzerland, Poland and Slovakia.
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