- Published: 08.05.2019.
Adriatic-Ionian Council holds meeting
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Marija Pejčinović Burić 7-8 May 2019 attended a ministerial meeting of the Adriatic-Ionian Council (AIC) as part of the 4th Forum of the EU Strategy for the Adriatic-Ionian Region (EUSAIR)
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Marija Pejčinović Burić 7-8 May 2019 attended a ministerial meeting of the Adriatic-Ionian Council (AIC) as part of the 4th Forum of the EU Strategy for the Adriatic-Ionian Region (EUSAIR).
The meeting was attended by foreign ministers and other high representatives of the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative (AII) member states, including the foreign minister of San Marino, which on this occasion became the 10th member of the AII.
The ministers adopted the Budva Declaration, which expresses support for North Macedonia’s joining the EUSAIR. The declaration also underlines the EUSAIR and AII’s contribution to the strengthening of regional cooperation aspects of policies crucial for the future of the region as well as their positive impact on the integration process of EU candidate and potential candidate countries.
In her address, Pejčinović Burić highlighted the huge cooperation potential of the Adriatic-Ionian region, while the 19 years of the AII’s existence bear witness to the usefulness and necessity of such cooperation framework. She recalled that it was precisely Croatia who had had the honour of hosting the 1st EUSAIR Forum in 2016 in Dubrovnik, when a decision was made to hold separate complementary AIC meetings and EUSAIR ministerial meetings. Pejčinović Burić voiced Croatia’s commitment to the continuation of the EU enlargement policy as well as the intention to organize a summit of the EU and Southeast European countries during Croatia’s Council of the EU presidency.