Regional authorities
The South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) launched in Sofia, Bulgaria in 1996 with the participation of southeast European countries, 13 participants from the SEE region, for regional cooperation to create trust, stability and good neighbouring relations24. The Charter on Good-Neighbourly Relations, Stability, Security and Cooperation in SEE25, adopted in Bucharest in 2000, represents the essential document of the SEECP.
The EU funded Tourism Development & Promotion Project (EUR 5 million) and RCC implemented Tourism Development & Promotion project works to create joint and internationally competitive cultural and adventure tourism offers in the six Western Balkans (WB6) economies which will attract more tourists to the region, lengthen their stay, increase revenues and contribute to growth and employment. On 6 April 2021, the Tirana Declaration endorsement marked the finalisation of RCC’s Tourism Development and Promotion project26.
The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), an all-inclusive, regionally owned and led cooperation framework with 46 participants, is financed by the European Union and its SEE and other Board participants, and it functions within the framework of the general political guidelines set by the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP). RCC serves regional cooperation and European and Euro-Atlantic integration of South East Europe in order to spark development in the region to the benefit of its people27. Majlinda Bregu, Minister of European Integration of Albania from 2007 to 2013, became Secretary General on 1 January 2019, appointed by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) at a meeting held on 23 April in Brdo pri Kranju, Slovenia.
The Western Balkan Fund, founded by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs from WB6 in 2017, has impacted the lives of 10,000 people and supported 3,400 civil society organisations28 with annual grants up to 250,000 euro in the past four years.
Comments are closed.