State Secretary at the Ministry of Defence Dusan Spasojevic stated that the meeting of South Eastern European Defence Ministers, held in Zagreb, has concluded that regional cooperation is one of the priorities for all countries in the region.

In an interview with the Tanjug news agency, Spasojevic said he stressed at the meeting that Serbia’s foreign policy priorities are regional cooperation and good neighbour relations.

He pointed out that EU integration of the entire region is of major importance for the preservation of peace and stability.

The meeting also concluded that there are many open issues among South Eastern European countries, particularly between Slovenia and Croatia and Greece and FYRMacedonia, said Spasojevic.

I pointed out that the meeting comprised representatives from countries which have different opinions on the Kosovo issue and reiterated Serbia’s principled stance that Kosovo is an inalienable part of its territory. Serbia is fighting for its rights through political, legal and diplomatic means, Spasojevic added.

I reminded those present at the meeting that it is very important for Serbia that NATO continues to play its role in Kosovo through KFOR and remain status-neutral, and for the KFOR troops to remain in the southern province because they are the only guarantee for peace and security, primarily for Serbs and other non-Albanians, said Spasojevic.

He said that several bilateral meetings were held today in the margins of the conference, adding that he met with the defence ministers of Hungary, Turkey and Slovenia.

He said that he talked about signing a defence agreement between Serbia and Hungary with the Hungarian Defence Minister, adding that the Hungarian Minister confirmed that the agreement will be signed in the second half of 2009.

He said that talks with the Turkish Defence Minister were mainly about the Serbian Defence Minister Sutanovac’s upcoming visit to Turkey in May, and agreement was reached in talks with the Slovenian Defence Minister that the Serbian Defence Minister should visit Ljubljana at the beginning of April this year, when an a agreement concerning defence cooperation will be signed between Serbia and Slovenia.

Spasojevic said that today’s meeting of the defence ministers of South Eastern European countries was the last one at this level prior to the NATO summit, to be held on the occasion of NATO’s 60th anniversary.