The Foreign Ministers (General Affairs Council) of the European Union have nominated Dr. Erhard Busek of Austria as successor to Bodo Hombach. Hombach commented that “after the Stability Pact Regional Conference in Bucharest of 25 & 26 October 2001 has underpinned the Stability Pact concept and has equally secured its perspective with an additional € 3 bn in financial support, I congratulate Dr. Busek to his appointment and wish him the best of success in a region, which he knows well and which has come much closer together over the past two years as regional co-operation is now firmly established.“