| The 11th meeting of the heads of state of Central and South-Eastern Europe opens today at the Romanian resort of Mamaia. In addition to the host of the meeting, Romanian President Ion Iliescu, 15 presidents gathered in Mamaia, including Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma and Moldavian President Vladimir Voronin. The discussion will focus on the results of the first group of Central European countries joining the European Union and the upcoming accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the EU in 2007. A special topic of the meeting will be the Western Balkans, that is, the former Yugoslav republics. All their presidents are present at the forum. Numerous bilateral contacts between the presidents participating in the meeting are expected. Business circles accompanying their presidents will talk about the business climate, investments and joint projects in the region. This Central European movement was launched in 1993 by the presidents of Austria, Germany, the Czech Republic and Hungary. Gradually, the circle of participants expanded to 17 countries. Their leaders regularly discuss the role of Central Europe in the EU, security in the region in the context of NATO's eastward expansion and the problems of the human dimension of European integration. Vyacheslav SAMOSHKIN, Bucharest
|
