The Stability Pact remains an essential instrument for assuring sustained international political attention to Southeast Europe. This is the principal conclusion of a Stability Pact report on its activities in the first three months of 2003, which was released by Special Co-ordinator Erhard Busek ahead of the Pact’s Regional Table (general assembly of Pact countries and organisations) in Dubrovnik 26-27 May. Erhard Busek produced the report in his capacity as the EU Special Representative and delivered it to EU Foreign Policy High Representative / Secretary General Javier Solana.

Developments in the region have taken place in the context of shifted international priorities, such as the conflict in Iraq, which has drawn away attention from SEE. Busek lists his efforts on behalf of the region and writes, that a special focus of his engagement in the first months of 2003 has been on improving the investment climate in the region as a precondition for real long-term stabilisation of SEE. In its efforts to further integrate Kosovo into the region, the Stability Pact has increased and facilitated participation of UNMIK in SP activities, in line with UNSC Resolution 1244 and closely coordinated with the other international actors in the region. The report gives an insight on activities, progress and challenges regarding the six core objectives of the Pact (local democracy and cross border cooperation; media; energy; trade and investment; fighting organized crime; managing and stabilizing population movements)

In line with his mandate as EU Special Representative for the Stability Pact, SC Busek has closely coordinated activities of the SP with EU institutions and Member States, in particular with the current Greek and incoming Italian Presidencies, the European Commission and the Council Secretariat. This close co-operation is supportive also of the upcoming EU-Western Balkans Summit 21 June 2003 in Thessaloniki.

This year's SEECP Summit of 9 April has once again demonstrated that the SEECP represents a viable voice of the region. SEECP has been reinvigorated within the Pact in the last years, and increasingly assumes the role of a political underpinning and lived regional ownership of the Pact's activities.