SECI: BORDER CROSSINGS PROJECT PROGRESSING POSITIVELY

GENEVA, Dec 1 (Hina) - The Southeast European Cooperative Initiative's (SECI) Programme Committee on Monday held its ninth session at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva. Representatives of SECI member-countries were briefed on activities undertaken in various projects. Although not a SECI member, a Croatian delegation was in attendance given Croatia's participation in some SECI programmes. The delegation was headed by Spomenka Cek, Croatian national coordinator for SECI. A project on bringing border crossings up to date, in which Croatia is interested, was progressing positively, it was said at the meeting. The World Bank, to which all projects are submitted, expressed in principle its willingness to finance the border crossing project. Decisions on the first loans are expected by late June 1999. The SECI was established at a United States initiative in December 1996, with the aim to incite cooperation among countries in south- eastern Europe and to facilitate their integration with Europe. The member-countries of the SECI are Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Greece, Hungary, Moldova, Romania, and Turkey. Croatia and Slovenia are observers. (hina) ha jn