Turkish President Abdullah Gul handed over rotating presidency of the Southeast European Cooperation Process (SEECP) to Montenegro on Wednesday.

Gul who made the opening speech of the summit meeting of the Heads of State and Government of SEECP said Turkish Presidency of the SEECP exerted efforts to bring a new perspective to the Balkans with a busy traffic of activities.

"I am fully confident that the momentum achieved under Turkey's presidency will be further increased with the Presidency of Montenegro," said Gul who offered to extend all kinds of support to the new SEECP President.

Gul said Turkey dreamed of a Balkans that achieved highest standards in human rights, received its share of the world welfare, fully integrated with the European and Euro-Atlantic organizations and embraced democratic values, cultural plurality and welfare.

Gul said the Balkan region was an inseparable part of Europe, adding that Turkey was determined to "crown" common values it shared with the Balkan countries under the membership to the European Union.

"We consider the EU as a totality of values and a civilization project. I am sure that our roads will all cross under the umbrella of the European Union. And we are determined to march toward that goal," Gul told leaders from twelve SEECP member countries.

Gul said the countries of the southeast Europe expected to extend firm support for candidates on the their way to full membership and to avoid moves that would hinder their EU accession process.

"We need to make this region a home of mutual respect and tolerance, as it once was," Gul said.

Gul said SEECP member countries saw an unprecedented busy traffic of mutual visits by leaders over the past year, which strongly affirmed the region's solid orientation toward Europe and Euro-Atlantic institutions.

"I believe that the biggest step toward that goal has been the Serbian parliament's approval of a declaration that condemned the great suffering which happened fifteen years ago in Srebrenica," Gul said.

"It is not easy to overcome the trauma caused by the war in the former Yugoslavia but we are encouraged by the fact that new generations look to the future with great hope. We need to prove that our differences make us even richer and more united. We need to prove that we can learn from lessons of the past not conflict and enmity but friendship, solidarity and cooperation," Gul said.

"Kosovo should be embraced"

Gul said developing extensive and comprehensive policies were the key to finding lasting solutions to existing problems in the Balkans.

He said those policies should embrace all countries in the Balkans including Kosovo.

"Regardless of our position on Kosovo's status, we should all make Kosovo a part of regional cooperation," said Gul.

Gul concluded his speech with a call for concerted action against terrorism.

"I believe that against this asymmetrical threat all countries should be in cooperation and solidarity and the international community should stand united against terrorism," said Gul.