Croatia hosts Crans Montana Forum on Balkans countries EU prospects

An international meeting on European prospects and regional cooperation of southeastern European countries, organized by the Crans Montana Forum, was opened in Zagreb on Wednesday by Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader.

"The European Union is a realization of an old dream of a united Europe," Sanader said as he opened the three-day gathering.

"European people have the right to a future without wars, a future of prosperity and peace ... and that is why we in Croatia and in this part of Europe want to be part of it (the European Union)."

In the 1990s, the Balkans region faced a series of wars which accompanied the break-up of the former Yugoslavia.

"A project of a united Europe cannot be completed until all the countries become a part of this united Europe," Sanader said.

The forum is to be attended by some 400 regional leaders, diplomats, representatives of the EU and international organizations as well as businessmen from some 20 countries.

Among them figure Macedonian and Montenegrin prime ministers Vlado Buckovski and Milo Djukanovic, Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Miroljub Labus, Italian Minister for European affairs Rocco Buttiglione and European commissioner for education Jan Figel.

Their talks are to focus on EU enlargement, boosting of regional economic growth and investment, promoting of democracy and the rule of law as well as boosting of regional security and cooperation.

The Crans Montana Forum, established in 1989, holds regional summits focusing on both current global issues influencing the region and specific regional issues.

Since the first such event in Athens in 1992, regional summits have taken place also in Belgrade, Bucharest and Malta.