National Coordinator of Migration, Asylum, Refugees Return Regional Initiative (MARRI) Assistant Minister Pjer Šimunović participated (on Thursday, 26 April 2007) at meeting of MARRI Initiative Regional Forum

At the meeting of the Regional Forum of the Migration, Asylum, Refugees Return Regional Initiative the Republic of Croatia took over the one-year chairmanship of the initiative that will last from April 2007 to April 2008.

Member countries of the Migration, Asylum, Refugees Return Regional Initiative are the Republic of Albania, Republic of Croatia, Republic of Macedonia, and the Republic of Serbia and their representatives at the today's meeting of the Regional Forum accepted a declaration which confirms the readiness for more intensive regional connections between the governments of the member countries and agencies that deal with migrations on a national and regional level. Also, the participants gave support to finding long-term and sustainable solutions for refugees and dislocated persons.

National Coordinator of the Migration, Asylum, Refugees Return Regional Initiative Assistant Minister at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Pjer Šimunović presented priorities of Croatia's chairmanship: strengthening cooperation between the MARRI Initiative member countries and the European Union and better connections with EU's help programs, improving coordination of activities related to organizing a more efficient fight against illegal migration, trafficking in persons within the MARRI Initiative member countries, intensifying regional information and experience interchange which has the purpose to minimize illegal migration and improving cross-border cooperation.