The foreign ministers meeting of the South East Europe Cooperation Process (SEECP), attended by Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic, has began in Becici (Montenegro) on Wednesday.

Milan Rochen, Foreign Minister of Montenegro, the country currently holding the SEECP Presidency, stated at the opening that regional cooperation is the best recommendation for the continuation of EU integration and reaching of the European future.

Summing up the results of Montenegro's one-year SEECP Presidency, he expressed satisfaction with the overall success of the region and progress of individual states.

Rochen pointed to the fact that the meeting is held after a recent meeting of foreign ministers of the EU and the Western Balkans in Luxembourg, at which it was stated that the EU enlargement will remain high on Brussels' agenda.

"This means that the responsibility for the European future is in our hands. SEECP is a good framework for the realization of regional interests and joint European goals," Rochen said.

He said that it is particularly significant that a joint strategy for the fight against organized crime and corruption was adopted.

"I believe we are the only region to adopt it," Rochen said.

The South East Europe Cooperation Process is a regional initiative founded in June 1996 at a meeting of foreign ministers from Southeast Europe (SEE) in Sofia in order to promote and strengthen good-neighborly relations among the SEE countries and transform the region into a zone of peace, security, stability and cooperation.

Besides Serbia and Montenegro, SEECP comprises 10 other countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece, Croatia, Macedonia, Moldova, Romania, Slovenia and Turkey.

Tadic to attend SEECP summit in Montenegro

All preparations have been made for the Thursday summit of heads of state and government of the South East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) on Sveti Stefan, Montenegro.

The top officials of nine countries have confirmed their participation, including Serbian President Boris Tadic, the press service of Montenegro's President Filip Vujanovic released.

This will be the last time Montenegro will preside over SEECP, as the country is due to hand over the initiative's rotating presidency to Serbia.

Perticipation in the summit has been confirmed by Chairman of the BiH Presidency Nebojsa Radmanovic, Serbian President Boris Tadic, the Presidents of Croatia Ivo Josipovic, Macedonia Djordje Ivanov, Albania Bamir Topi and Moldova Marian Lupu, as well as Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov and the Foreign Ministers of Turkey and Greece, Ahmet Davitoglu and Stavros Lambrinidis, respectively.

Befor the summit, Montenegro is also hosting a meeting of foreign ministers of SEECP member-countries in Becici on Wednesday, in which Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic is taking part.

The SEECP was established in Sofia in 1996, as a regional forum for the countries of Southeastern Europe, with the aim of strengthening relations between member states in the domain of preservation of peace and stability, as well as facilitating their European and Euro-Atlantic integration.

This regional initiative has 12 member states: Serbia, Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Greece, Croatia, Macedonia, Moldova, Romania, Slovenia and Turkey.