On 30 June 2017, the Republic of Croatia ended its year-long chairmanship of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP).
The SEECP was launched in Sofia in 1996 at Bulgaria’s initiative and aims to strengthen regional cooperation and create a climate of trust, good-neighbourliness and stability. Croatia assumed its second SEECP chairmanship from Bulgaria 1 July 2016 and now Slovenia will take over.
Croatia’s chairmanship took place under the motto “Connection. Communication. Cooperation.”
The basic guidelines of Croatia’s chairmanship included solidarity, support for EU candidate countries and potential candidates, connection, strengthening political dialogue – notably through parliamentary cooperation, as well as energy, transport and infrastructural synergy. Also, during the past year, Croatia has been pointing out priority cooperation areas in South-East Europe, such as science, education, energy and dealing with civilian crisis situations.
Two informal meetings of foreign ministers were held during Croatia’s SEECP chairmanship: the first in September 2016 in New York and the second in March 2017 in Zagreb, as well as a number of expert meetings on various levels concerning the abovementioned areas.
Croatia’s chairmanship ended with a series of high-level meetings of foreign ministers, presidents and prime ministers, which saw the exchange of views on current events as well as the political, security and economic development of South-East Europe. In this way, through dialogue and cooperation among the highest officials of the SEECP participating countries, an atmosphere of cooperation and trust is stimulated, which is the best guarantee for security, peace and progress in the region.
A joint declaration titled “SEECP Dubrovnik Summit Declaration” was adopted and contains conclusions regarding support for the EU candidates and potential candidates, security challenges in South-East Europe such as illegal migration and terrorism, as well as economic cooperation and development.
The meetings that ended Croatia’s chairmanship took place 29 and 30 June 2017 saw the participation of highest officials from the SEECP participants: presidents of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, Macedonia, Slovenia and Serbia, Bulgaria’s prime minister, as well as foreign ministers or their deputies from all of the SEECP participating countries.
SEECP Dubrovnik Summit Declaration