It recalled that the initiative was an idea of Montenegrin Foreign Minister Igor Luksic to bring together Montenegro, Serbia, Kosovo (without prejudging its status), Macedonia, Albania, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Luksic launched the initiative to strengthen regional cooperation last spring, in agreement with Montenegrin Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic. DAN said experts from European Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele's office supported it and that the initiative envisaged the formation of a Western Balkan Six Parliamentary Assembly which would comprise ten representatives from each member country.
A non-paper promoting relations called "The Western Balkan Six" describes the initiative in greater detail, including the appointment of experts to coordinate the most important projects agreed at meetings of premiers and prime ministers.
This concept of cooperation reflects the need of the six Western Balkan countries for networking and is also a means of swifter European integration, without bringing into question the evaluation of each country's progress, according to the non-paper which the Montenegrin Foreign Ministry forwarded to the member countries.
It says the member countries will strive for dynamic development, more competitive economies, and finding a formula to cushion the negative impact of the global economic crisis to the stability and preservation of the regional market.
The initiative also envisages forming a joint Balkan police.
The member countries are agreed that the fight against corruption represents an unambiguous and important component of joint efforts, and will propose closer cooperation or combining the Migration, Asylum, Refugees Regional Initiative and the Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative with the aim to form BALPOL, a regional centre for fighting corruption and organised crime, according to the non-paper.
It also says that in order to create a single zone for the flow of people and capital, the member countries will facilitate the crossing of state borders, while keeping them safe.