Aiming to strengthen local democracy in South-Eastern Europe, the Stability Pact, the Council of Europe and the government of Croatia are organising a regional ministerial conference entitled “Effective Democratic Governance at Local and Regional Level”.

Respective ministers from South Eastern Europe will exchange ideas regarding the challenges of efficient local governance, and are expected to reaffirm their countries’ commitment to strengthening local and regional governance structures by signing a Memorandum of Understanding.

Journalists are kindly invited to attend the opening session of the ministerial conference on Tuesday, 26 October, which will be addressed, among others, by Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader, Romanian Foreign Minister Mircea Geoana, and Special Co-ordinator Erhard Busek.

Journalists can also observe the signing ceremony (26/10 at 13:15), and the press conference (26/10 at 14.00) which will be attended by Antun Palaric, the Croatian Secretary of State for Local Government, Jean-Daniel Biéler, the Director of the SP Working Table I, and Giovanni Di Stasi, the President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities.

The conference and all above press events will take place at the Hotel Westin, Krsnjavoga 1, Zagreb.

SC Busek will only be available for comments and interviews after his speech scheduled for the morning session (9:00 - 9:45) on Tuesday, 26 October.  Please contact Dragan Barbutovski at +32-498-982-984 if requesting an interview in Zagreb.

For more details on the conference, please consult the following page: http://www.stabilitypact.org/wt1/041025-home.html, contact Mr. Ivo Masina of the Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (glasnogovornik@mvp.hr) or write to press@stabilitypact.org