The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia an Herzegovina and the other SEECP participating States, as well as UNMIK on behalf of Kosovo signed in Plovdiv the agreement, establishing the Secretariat of the Regional Co-operation Council (RCC) in Sarajevo. The Host Country agreement (HCA) will provide a sound basis for the RCC Secretariat, allowing it to formally start its work as planned by the end of February 2008.

The HCA provides the RCC Secretariat with legal personality and capacity within Bosnia and Herzegovina, but also allows it to conclude a Headquarters Agreement with Belgium for establishing the RCC Liaison Office in Brussels. This small liaison office will assist the RCC by linking it up with the European and Euro-Atlantic institutions in Brussels. Bosnia and Herzegovina is providing the headquarters of the RCC at no fee. The RCC Secretariat will be provided with the same kind of status as the diplomatic representations in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In his statement at the ceremony the Special Co-ordinator of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe Dr. Erhard Busek stressed that the signing of this legal document was yet another substantial step in physically establishing the RCC as the successor of the SP and an important sign of the full commitment of the SEE countries to continue enhancing regional co-operation in South Eastern Europe.

According to the decisions taken by the countries of the region, the RCC will take over the activities of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe. The decisions on the statute of the RCC have been taken by the Heads of State and Government of the SEECP in Zagreb on May 11, 2007. Mr. Hido Biscevic, a high ranking diplomat from Croatia, was appointed as the first Secretary General of the RCC. Some 30 officials will work in the RCC. The countries from the region are covering one third of the costs of the RCC Secretariat, the remaining two thirds being covered by the European Commission and other donors.

The Ministers of the SEECP participating States also discussed the situation in the region, the meetings and activities within the framework of the Bulgarian Chairmanship-In-Office of the SEECP, future steps of the transformation of the Stability Pact into RCC, including the structure and the budget of the RCC Secretariat.

For further information please contact Stability Pact's Spokesperson
Mr Georgi Gotev at the SP Secretariat in Brussels
(Tel: +32 2 401 87 25 or press@stabilitypact.org
PR2007/014

Source: Stability Pact Press Release via Newsletter.