Senior SE Europe statesmen found neighbors club

By Adel Omeragic

BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) - Senior Southeastern European statesmen on Friday founded a new group to strengthen neighborly relations and promote European Union values and accession.

The Podgorica Club was established in Montenegro's capital Podgorica for the countries of Montenegro, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Macedonia, Albania, and Kosovo.

The club inauguration was attended by former Montenegrin President Filip Vujanovic, former Macedonian President Branko Crvenkovski, former Slovenian President Danilo Turk, former Bosnia and Herzegovina Council of Ministers Chair Zlatko Lagumdzija, former Serbian Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic, and former Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor.

Vujanovic, speaking at the event, said the club will focus on the future, not the past.

"We decided to set up the club by these countries, as the EU had adopted the six Balkan countries for its Western Balkans Strategy," said Vujanovic.

Referring to the Western Balkan countries' EU membership process, Vujanovic said that the countries of the region are tired of waiting.

"We understand the EU’s exhaustion. But they should also know that we’re tired of waiting. Our waiting too long will not exalt the EU's enlargement policy," said Vujanovic.

Vujanovic also said that they will hold their next meeting in Zagreb or Ljubljana where they will call on the EU to start negotiating with Macedonia and Albania.

Other club members include former Slovenian President Milan Kucan, former Croatian President Stjepan Mesic, former Montenegrin Prime Minister Igor Luksic, and former Macedonian Prime Minister Hari Kostov.