Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini has announced the forming of a new Adriatic-Ionian macro region by 2014, on the model of the Baltic Sea macro-region which has already started operating, and the Danube region which is yet to be launched.

Frattini pointed out that the aim of the strategy is not to double the existing European institutions, but rather to facilitate cooperation in the area of econom

y and infrastructure, rural development, small and mid-sized companies, as well as tourism and culture. The final aim of this ambitious plan is to integrate the Western Balkan countries into the EU, Frattini said after the 12th conference of the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative, the Italian agency ANSA reported.

The future of the Southeast Europe is within the EU, it was concluded in the declaration adopted at the meeting chaired by Frattini and attended by foreign ministers of Albania, BiH, Montenegro, Greece, Croatia, Slovenia and Italy.

The Adriatic-Ionian Initiative was founded in Ancona ten years ago, on May 20, 2000, and its members are the seven Adriatic and Ionian Sea coastal countries: Albania, BiH, Montenegro, Greece, Croatia, Slovenia, Italy and according to the principle of membership succession, Serbia.