Free trade in 2003 in SEE, manifold co-operation in electricity, small arms collection, increased refugee return and a much lauded role of SEECP during 2002 adds up to a new quality of politics in the Southeast Europe. It was against this positive background that Special Co-ordinator Erhard Busek convened today the fourth meeting of the Pact’s Regional Table in Thessaloniki, which also marked his first year in office. After the successful achievement of six clearly defined goals in 2002 by the Pact, the Regional Table endorsed the working platform for 2003.

As a reflection of the improved political and economic climate in South East Europe, Busek welcomed the perspective of EU membership for Bulgaria and Romania, alongside their invitation to join NATO. He equally welcomed progress made in the SAA framework (2 Agreements signed, mandate for opening negotiations given). Busek underlined, that the Stability Pact continues to play a vital role in assuring a robust regional dimension to South Eastern Europe’s aspirations for integration into European and Euro-Atlantic structures. However, major influences on SEE will come not only from within but will happen around the region: with EU enlargement, the EU borders will solidly reach to SEE and will engulf it. Busek underlined that for further stabilization of the region it remains vital, that the EU continues to follow a comprehensive SEE strategy for the time after enlargement. He welcomed the first outlines presented by EU institutions in this regard. It will be against these developments, that the future role of the Pact will have to be shaped by its partner governments. Busek also mentioned the EU Summit in Thessaloniki in June 2003 as an upcoming opportunity in this context.

As host of the Regional Table, Greek Minister of Macedonia and Thrace, George Paschalides, explained Greece’s priorities as the incoming EU Presidency and announced that the Greek Government will call for a second summit meeting of the Heads of States of the EU and Southeast European countries in Thessaloniki in June 2003, in the framework of the Zagreb process. Deputy Yugoslav Foreign Minister Jelica Minic outlined how the South East European Co-operation Process (SEECP) is playing an increasingly important role as the co-ordinated voice of SE Europe, thereby underlying the headway made by the Stability Pact to promote regional ownership of its activities.

The Stability Pact goals for 2003 were endorsed by the Regional Table. The six are: media (enhancing independent media and standards of journalism in SEE), local democracy and cross-border co-operation (systematic co-operation of local governmental, civic and business actors, also across national borders) infrastructure (enlarge existing regional approach to developing infrastructure in transport (roads, rail, air), energy and telecommunications), trade and investment (further development of liberal business environment, promoting business opportunities), managing population movements (areas of asylum, legal and illegal migration, border management and phase-out of solely humanitarian activities of displacement issues) and organized crime (making the Regional Centre for Organized Crime in Bucharest operational, training (to Europol standards) of the centre’s crime experts, increasing exchanges with Europol).

Participants of the Table stressed that along with the six core objectives for 2003 mentioned above, the Stability Pact still has an important regional contribution to make in a number of other initiatives, including co-ordination of counter-trafficking efforts, promotion of a digital society, implementation of a framework to fight corruption, shaping a process for reconciliation, co-ordination of infrastructure development efforts, assurance of greater social cohesion, and advancement in disaster preparedness and prevention. Furthermore, participants recognized an important role for the Stability Pact in facilitating greater Parliamentary co-operation throughout the region and deepening its contribution to sub-regional co-operation. In particular, the table valued the willingness of the Special Co-ordinator to consider actively ways in which Kosovo could be more integrated into the neighbouring region by fostering greater cross border/boundary co-operation.

The Table welcomed the emphasis placed by the Special Co-ordinator on an operational and thematically oriented structure for the Stability Pact Secretariat, with the goal of further streamlining related events while ensuring maximum impact.