Senior EU, Western Balkan officials discuss regional cooperation

Foreign ministers from Slovenia, France and some Western Balkan countries on Thursday exchanged views over regional cooperation, security and stability in Europe.

The situation in the Western Balkans remains high on the agenda of the European Union (EU), Slovenian Foreign Minister Karl Erjavec told reporters after the meeting at Brdo Castle, about 35 km northwest of here.

"The exchange of views between the region and EU countries is of key importance in addressing joint security and political concerns in the European neighbourhood," he said.

Visiting French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, and EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn also spoke highly of the multi-lateral talks, which, they said, demonstrated good regional cooperation and a will to discuss a shared future.

The Brdo meeting, the first of its kind in the framework of the Brdo Process regional initiative, discussed anti-terrorism, the situation in Syria, Iraq, Libya, and the humanitarian crisis in the Mediterranean.

The one-day meeting was also attended by foreign ministers of Serbia, Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo and Montenegro, Austria, Croatia and Italy. In addition, Albania and Germany were represented by state secretaries. Endit