Date: November 15 - 16, 2005

Venue:  Diplomat Hotel, Evropská 15, Prague (Czech Republic) (Tel.: +420 296 559 111, Fax: +420 296 559 215, E-mail: info@diplomathotel.cz)

Contact/ further information:       Stability Pact's Spokesperson Dragan Barbutovski (+32 2 4018725 or +32 498 982984, press@stabilitypact.org)

Information about the meeting will be updated on http://www.stabilitypact.org/rt

BACKGROUND

The Stability Pact's biannual Regional Table, its highest decision-making forum, will meet in the Czech capital Prague 15-16 November to discuss issues of regional ownership.

About 250 participants representing over 80 countries and organizations (including representatives of South Eastern European governments, EU Member States, Norway, Switzerland, the US, the European Commission and the European Council, the United Nations Mission in Kosovo, OSCE, Council of Europe, OECD, World Bank, IMF and EBRD) will debate opportunities and challenges for regional co-operation in South Eastern Europe. Recent progress in several SEE countries, in particular with a view to the their EU integration, has also increased the political momentum for a reassessment of the role of the Stability Pact and its fields of activity. The last Regional Table in Sofia was followed by an intense period assessing various activities of the Stability Pact and its initiatives, as well as in-depth discussions with SEE countries. This meeting of the Regional Table in Prague should thus be in a position to advance decision-making on the way ahead for the Stability Pact including an  assessment of the priorities for regional co-operation in the future and  an outline for the transition from a heavily donor driven framework to a more regionally owned co-operation scheme in collaboration with international partners.

The meeting of the Regional Table will be preceded by a day (15 November) of theme-focused Working Table meetings where issues of local democracy/cross border co-operation and parliamentary co-operation (Working Table I - Democracy), business climate (Working Table II - Economy) and fight against organised crime and corruption (Working Table III - Security) will be debated.

The meetings of both the Regional Table and the Working Tables are closed to the media. Press conferences will be held after each meeting (15 November), including a Regional Table press conference on 16 November.

Tuesday, 15 November

12:00            Working Table II Press Conference

15:00            Working Table III Press Conference

15:30            Working Table I Press Conference

Wednesday, 16 November

10:30            Press Conference of the Regional Table

N.B. There will also be an opportunity for the media to attend the opening part of the Regional Table meeting in the morning of 16 November (9:00 - 10:30).

TECHNICAL INFORMATION

There will be a Press Conference room in the premises of Hotel Diplomat (Vienna I and Vienna II).

N.B. Please note that no technical equipment will be made available for the journalists covering the press conferences - it will not be equipped with PCs, printers and faxes.

ACCREDITATION

Media accreditation can be made electronically (by e-mail) by prividing the following Media Accreditation Form.

Please contact Mr Dragan Barbutovski, SP Spokesperson (Phone:+32 2 401-8725; Fax: +32 2 401-8712, E-mail: press@stabilitypact.org) or for logistical questions Ms Šárka Pavlíková  (Phone:+420 222 809 181; Fax: +420 222 809 149, E-mail: sarka.pavlikova@odeontravel.cz) if you require additional information.

The deadline for the accreditation is 7 November 2005.

Note: Journalists will not be admitted to Hotel Diplomat conference centre without a badge!

Accreditation badge can be collected at the Welcome Desk at Hotel Diplomat upon the presentation of a valid ID from 14 November 2005 (12:00) onwards.

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