Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović participated in the informal meeting of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) foreign ministers, held 13 and 14 September 2007 in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Apart from SEECP foreign ministers, the meeting also saw the participation of the European Commission’s representatives, representatives of Portugal and Slovenia as the current and future EU presiding country, State Secretary for Political Affairs Hido Biščević, in the capacity of the appointed Secretary General of the Regional CO-operation Council (RCC), and Erhard Busek, Stability Pact’s Special Co-ordinator
The participants reviewed the state of affairs in South-Eastern Europe, pointing out the importance of solving the Kosovo status. In that regard, Minister Grabar-Kitarović stressed the crucial importance of the current stage in the direct negotiations, as well as the activities of the US-EU-Russia troika mediation, calling for a measured and realistic approach, while maintaining constructive relations and concord at the international level, namely in the EU. The meeting’s participants also noted the importance the region’s countries place on a unified EU position. The Minister also proposed a discussion on the initiative to establish the Regional Forest Fire Management Center.
The participants discussed the past and future steps around the establishment of the Regional Co-operation Council in Sarajevo, with reports by State Secretary Biščević and Special Co-ordinator Busek. The participants expressed satisfaction with the dynamics of establishing the RCC, stating support for the further steps to set it up and launch it by February 2008.
As an important precondition for the setting up of the RCC Secretariat, the ministers signed an agreement with the Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Council of Ministers on the arrangements for the RCC Secretariat’s host country.
In the final part of the meeting, Bulgaria reported on the meetings and activities planned for its SEECP presidency until May 2008.
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