SEE leaders want better cooperation and EU enlargement

DUBROVNIK - The participants of a meeting of the leaders of the Brdo-Brijuni process have concluded they will support and strengthen the already improved regional cooperation and cooperation between the region and the EU, which will help the EU enlargement.

The leaders of the region supported in the conclusions of the meeting the regional projects meant to establish a southern gas corridor in order to diversify energy supply, including the South Stream gas pipeline.

Zagreb and Ljubljana, as members of the EU, will remain committed to working on these issues within the EU and with their neighbours, according to the conclusions.

The participants welcomed significant progress in improving the institutional relations between the Western Balkans and the EU, which had been made since the previous meeting, a year earlier.

Belgrade has started the accession talks with the EU, Tirana has gained the membership candidate status, Pristina has completed the negotiations concerning the Stabilisation and Association Agreement and Podgorica has sped up its progress in the accession talks, all of which will help further integration and stability in that part of Europe, the participants stated.

They also acknowledge that there are still serious obstacles to the progress of the region as a whole, which should be resolved with more courage and political will.

The leaders expressed condolences for the victims of the May floods in Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina and commended the displays solidarity towards the residents of the flooded areas, as well as great help coming from the region and all of Europe.

The recent floods have shown there is a need for mechanisms of practical coordination and crisis prevention...