Date: May 17 - 18, 2005

Venue:  Kempinski Hotel Zografski – 100 James Bourchier Blvd, 1407 Sofia (Bulgaria)
Tel.: +359 (2) 969 2233, 
Fax: +359 (2) 969 2234,
E-mail: stay-in-sofia@kempinski.bg)

Contact/ further information: 
Stability Pact’s Spokesperson Dragan Barbutovski 
+32 (2) 401 87 25 or +32 (498)  982 984, press@stabilitypact.org

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

BACKGROUND

The Stability Pact's biannual Regional Table, its highest decision-making forum, will meet in the Bulgarian capital Sofia 17-18 May 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 the region to gradually take over ownership of various policy initiatives. As part of the region’s Euro-Atlantic integration prospects, the Stability Pact work focuses specifically on providing support to the countries of SEE in meeting membership criteria by fostering regional co-operation.

The meeting of the Regional Table will be preceded by a day (17 May) of theme-focused Working Table meetings where issues of regional ownership (Working Table I - Democracy), regional infrastructure and energy (Working Table II - Economy) and defence conversion (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 (17 May), including a concluding press conference on 18 May.  

There will also be an opportunity for the media to attend the opening part of the Regional Table meeting in the morning of 18 May.

TECHNICAL INFORMATION

The Press Centre will be located in the “Vitosha” Hall in the Kempinski Hotel Zografski.  It will open on 16 May and will remain open until the end of the meetings on 18 May.  

The Press Centre will have full technical equipment for the coverage of the forum – it will be equipped with PCs, printers and faxes, and will have full Internet access.

ACCREDITATION

Media accreditation can be made electronically (by e-mail) via the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry.  Media Accreditation Form can be downloaded by clicking on the following link http://www.mfa.government.bg/ziparhive/Others/media_accreditation.doc.  The accreditation form and a photo in a ‘jpg’ or ‘gif’ format should be sent before the accreditation deadline to the following e-mail address:  

press_sp-sofia@mfa.government.bg

The deadline for the accreditation is 5 May 2005.

Note: Journalists cannot be accredited without submitting the accreditation form and the photo. 

After processing the form, the accreditation will be confirmed by e-mail from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  For additional information please contact + 359 (2) 948 26 34 or + 359 (2) 948 22 18.

Accreditation badge can be collected in the Press Centre located in the “Vitosha” Hall (Kempinski Hotel Zografski) upon the presentation of a valid ID from 16 May 2005 onwards.