Mesic said that regardless of the fact that the region was still dealing with the consequences of the 1990s wars, the countries of Southeast Europe had made progress in Euro-Atlantic integration processes.
"The long-term stabilisation of the region will not be possible without regional factors taking their responsibility," the President said.
"It should be noted that NATO, together with the EU, is participating at different levels in preparing the countries of the region to take more and more responsibility for regional security and stability," he added.
Mesic stressed that sending invitations to the countries involved in NATO's Partnership for Peace programme to join the alliance would be "the next important step that will have positive effects on the region's security and stability."
He said that there was less and less likelihood of military aggression in the region as the concepts of territorially-based armies were giving way to those of highly mobile forces.
The Croatian president went on to say that the region was facing new security challenges, citing organised crime and terrorism, and that there were still those interested in slowing down the integration processes.
"Any delay or slowing down of the integration of the ready aspirants will slow down the creation of conditions for maintaining full and long-term stability," Mesic said, concluding that the countries of the region could best take responsibility for their future within membership of NATO and the European Union.
The Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council is a form of cooperation between NATO countries and members of the Partnership for Peace programme.
The Dubrovnik meeting brought together representatives of NATO and Partnership for Peace member states. After the meeting, Mesic was scheduled to meet NATO's Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs and Security Policy, Martin Erdmann.