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Southeast Europe Stability Pact’s Regional Table forum in Belgrade

Belgrade, 26 May 2006

Serbian State Secretary of International Economic Relations Vlatko Sekulovic said today that the first biannual Regional Table forum of the Southeast Europe Stability Pact which will be held from May 29 to 30 in Belgrade will bring together more than 300 participants from 80 countries and international organisations.

Speaking at a presentation at the forum, Sekulovic said that during the meeting of the first working table, which will concern issues of democracy, development of education, science and research, and the advancement of public administration will also be discussed. It is also expected that important decisions regarding future strategy and regional cooperation will also be brought at this forum.

He said that the second working table will be devoted to economic issues, such as trade liberalisation and the creation of a free trade zone, while the theme of the third one will be the fight against organised crime and corruption.

Speaking on the role of the Stability Pact in the trade sector, Sekulovic said that the creation of new Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) represents a step forward, and implies a widening of existing agreements, so that a single regional agreement will replace 31 existing ones.

He said that the proposal made by Serbia-Montenegro for creating a fund for the development of southeast Europe has been accepted, and a fund of €120 million will be used chiefly for the development of small enterprises and housing facilities.

National coordinator of the Stability Pact and Serbian Assistant Minister of International Economic Relations Dusko Lopandic said that the forum will be attended by European Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn, Director of the Directorate for the Western Balkans Reinhard Priebe, ministers of foreign affairs of Serbia-Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina Vuk Draskovic and Mladen Ivanic, respectively, and the deputy ministers of foreign affairs from several countries.

The forum will also be attended by Serbian Minister of International Economic Relations Milan Parivodic, Serbian Minister of Education and Sport Slobodan Vuksanovic and Serbian Minister of Science and Environmental Protection Aleksandar Popovic.

Sekulovic explained that the Stability Pact should gradually transform into a council for regional cooperation, which would continue the activities of the pact directed at the process of EU integration, and whose coordinator from 2008 should be one of the regional representatives.

The forum is being organised by the Serbia-Montenegrin Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with the support of the Serbian Ministry of International Economic Relations and the Office of the National Coordinator of the Southeast Europe Stability Pact.