The Speaker stressed that regional cooperation is one of the Republic of Serbia’s foreign policy priorities and that it was both in Serbia’s and the region’s interest to deepen the cooperation between the member countries of the Adriatic Ionian Initiative. As the chair, the Republic of Serbia strove to actively contribute to promoting the potentials of the Adriatic Ionian region and the European future of the members of the Adriatic Ionian Initiative not already in the EU. In the course of its chairmanship, Serbia organised or will by the end of it hold meetings and roundtables on the development of small and medium enterprises, transport, environmental protection and fire safety, rural development, tourism and culture. In addition, Serbia endeavors to improve parliamentary cooperation and cooperation with the EU.

“Our parliament prioritizes the same topics the Adriatic Ionian Initiative devotes its efforts to. It demonstrates how strong our desire for cooperation in our region, defined as a separate macro-economic region, is and how much room there is for it. Regional integration and cooperation processes are the priority of the Republic of Serbia’s chairmanship of the Adriatic Ionian Initiative and foreign policy overall. That is why it is of paramount importance to develop a strategy for the Adriatic Ionian macro-region which should identify the region’s interests like other regions such as the Baltic and Danube region have already done. I would like to remind you that a Declaration was adopted in May 2010 asserting the support to the development of the strategy by all the members of the Adriatic Ionian Initiative. This support was confirmed at the ministerial meeting in May 2011 in Brussels. Considering the all-round support we expect it to be reaffirmed at the meeting of the Adriatic Ionian Council in Belgrade on 30 April this year”, said the National Assembly Speaker.

The Speaker suggested that it would be useful to create parliamentary and standing delegations in the parliaments of the Adriatic Ionian Initiative member countries. This would benefit further development of cooperation primarily in view of the fact that the project-orientation of the Adriatic Ionian Initiative calls for continuous cooperation on the level of parliamentary working bodies.

“The Republic of Serbia sees its future affiliated to other European countries, as well as in cooperation with all the countries of the world. Serbia is a strong proponent of stability in the region, development of good-neighbourly relations, stimulation, promotion and development of activities toward creating a favourable economic and political climate of cooperation in the region. It promotes adherence to the principle and norms of international law as the framework of overall development led by achieving common interests through dialogue", stressed Speaker Slavica Djukic Dejanovic.

Milorad Zivkovic, Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ranko Krivokapic, Montenegrin Parliament Speaker, Gregor Virant, Slovene Parliament Speaker; Milorad Pupovac, Chairman of the Croatian Sabor’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Roberto Antonione, member of the Italian House of Representatives and Fabio Pigliapoco, Adriatic Ionian Initiative Secretary General took part in the conference.