07 November 2024 | News

Bregu: Our commitment to building a resilient, adaptive, and forward-looking security framework is a must

Sarajevo - The 9th Regional Security Coordination Conference dubbed “Working Together in Times of Global Uncertainties”, organised by the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy and Ministry of Interior of Italy, opened today in Sarajevo.   

06 November 2024 | News

Bregu: Our mission over the past six years has not only been to adapt to the change but to lead it

Sarajevo – The 54th meeting of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Board was held in Sarajevo today, chaired by the RCC Secretary General Majlinda Bregu. The RCC Board participants congratulated Ms Bregu on the successes she brought forth to the regional cooperation agendas during her tenure, and thanked her for dedication and unwavering persistence in leading and pursuing the ...

14 October 2024 | News

Bregu: CRM is key to regional cooperation and global interests

Berlin – The leaders of the Western Balkans Six signed a new phase of the Common Regional Market Action Plan 2025–2028 (CRM 2.0), commending the work of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) and partners in preparing the document, at the Summit marking the 10th anniversary of Berlin Process, held in German capital today. The leaders also signed the Agreement on Access to Higher ...

08 October 2024 | News

Bregu: Climate crisis demands urgent action and increased investment

Berlin – The representatives of the Western Balkans Six endorsed a Hamburg Declaration on the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans (GAWB) renewing their commitment to the GAWB at the meeting organized by the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany and supported by the European Commission, in Hamburg ...

03 October 2024 | News

Bregu: You have the power to make a difference, this is the time to dream

Tirana/Sarajevo - The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) hosted the finale and Award Ceremony of the fifth edition of the Balkathon, regional digital competition, tonight in Tirana. 

01 October 2024 | News

Bregu: Cooperation is not a choice but a must! We owe it to ourselves and to the future generations.

Berlin – The Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Majlinda Bregu, took part at the meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Berlin Process that took place in German capital today. German Foreign Minister, Annalena Baerbock, praised the work of the RCC and its Secretary General Majlinda Bregu, emphasizing their crucial contribution to the implementation ...

27 September 2024 | News

Bregu: Cooperation as our strongest asset remains our guiding principle

New York – The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) organised a Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the South East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) in cooperation with Tirana SEECP Chairpersonship-in-Office in New York yesterday, at the margins of 79th annual United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

16 September 2024 | News

Bregu: Trust in regional cooperation continues to rise, reaching 82%

Tirana - The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) presented the tenth edition of Balkan Barometer, the region's largest public and business opinion survey, in Tirana today.

09 July 2024 | News

Bregu: All-inclusiveness is paramount in implementing cybersecurity measures across the Western Balkans

Tirana – The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), with the support of the European Commission, organised the second High-Level Conference on “Cybersecurity Challenges and Opportunities in the Western Balkans” in Tirana today. The conference features discussions on critical infrastructure, showcasing practical solutions from both private and public sector perspectives, exploring ...

26 June 2024 | News

Bregu: Convergence scenarios put our region on up to 72 year convergence approximation journey

Paris – The Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Majlinda Bregu, outlined the importance of regional initiatives in fast-tracking Western Balkan competitiveness path of economic growth, at OECD’s Driving Competitiveness, Achieving Convergence High-Level Conference on South East Europe held in Paris today.

14 June 2024 | News

Youth Sports Games won Champion of Regional Cooperation Dr Busek Award

Skopje – The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) and Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs of Austria presented the Youth Sports Games as the winner of the Champion of Regional Cooperation Dr Erhard Busek Award at the reception following the RCC Annual Meeting, on 12 June 2024 in Skopje.

13 June 2024 | News

SEECP participants praise RCC and appoint new RCC SG for 2025-2027

Skopje – The leaders of the South East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) praised the work of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) and commended the dedication and commitment of its Secretary General Majlinda Bregu over her tenure. Participants highlighted RCC’s role in the achievements of the Common Regional Market as a stepping stone towards the EU Single Market, and acknowledged ...

12 June 2024 | News

Our mission for past 6 years: not only adapt to change, but lead it

Skopje – The participants of the 16th Annual Meeting of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), held in Skopje today, endorsed the RCC Annual Report 2023-2024. The meeting, co-chaired by the RCC Secretary General Majlinda Bregu and Bujar Osmani, Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia, on behalf of the Chair of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP), discussed developments ...

30 May 2024 | News

Bregu and Mogherini sign MoU between RCC and College of Europe

Tirana – Majlinda Bregu, Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), and Federica Mogherini, College of Europe Rector, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on developing and further strengthening the cooperation between the two institutions, in Tirana today.

24 May 2024 | News

Bregu: European Union will be stronger with Western Balkans firmly in its fold

Ljubljana - The Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Majlinda Bregu opened the Civil Society High Level Conference, dubbed Continuing the success story of EU enlargement – Bringing benefits to the Western Balkans in advance of accession, together with Tanja Fajon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Slovenia, Oliver Röpke, ...

17 May 2024 | News

‘Learning by doing’ name of the game for entering EU Single Market

Tirana - The Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Majlinda Bregu spoke at the Belgrade Security Conference (BSC) Leaders Meetings Discussion, held in Tirana today. 

16 May 2024 | News

One region, common vision

Kotor – The Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Majlinda Bregu took part at the Western Balkans Leaders’ Summit, dubbed One region, common vision, focusing on bringing the region closer to the EU through the EU Growth Plan and the Common Regional Market (CRM) Action Plan, held in Kotor today. 

09 May 2024 | News

Statement by the RCC Secretary General on the occasion of Europe Day

Sarajevo – Statement by the Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council Majlinda Bregu on the occasion of the Europe Day:

30 April 2024 | News

RCC Secretary General on the Occasion of Labour Day

Sarajevo – May 1st brings workers around the Western Balkans and the world a well-deserved break from work, but also reminds us of ongoing battles for improved working conditions, brain drain, long-term unemployment and undeclared work. 

18 March 2024 | News

RCC to provide one scholarship for College of Europe Tirana as of 2024

Sarajevo – The participants of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Board approved the Report of the RCC Secretary General, Majlinda Bregu, on the activities of the organisation in the period November 2023 – February 2024, and commended the work of RCC, confirming their full approval of the forthcoming phase's planned activities, at the 51st Board meeting, held online today. ...

08 March 2024 | News

Women’s economic empowerment is not a luxury

“The most dangerous phrase in the language is “We’ve always done it this way”. It’s 8 March today, and the buzzword you are getting from all around is “Women’s day”. So, the note of ours on this day is on women. Women continue to face disadvantage and discrimination in all areas of economic life. Mothers around the Western Balkans are particularly ...

29 February 2024 | News

Bregu: The time is ticking on defining the future of our region

Tirana - In a Joint Statement issued at the Growth and Convergence for the Western Balkans Six Conference held in Tirana today the Leaders of the Western Balkans Six (WB6) commended the work of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), underscored the region's commitment to integration and emphasized enhanced cooperation with the EU.

08 February 2024 | News

Bregu: Circular economy can create jobs and unlock economic opportunities

The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) launched the Western Balkans Green and Circular Economy Stakeholders Platform, consisting of government, business, donor, and CSO representatives, at a high-level meeting taking place in Pristina today. 

22 January 2024 | News

New Phase of the Common Regional Market to Be Ready for Leaders' Endorsement at the Next Berlin Process Summit

Skopje - The Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Majlinda Bregu, took part in the Western Balkans Meets EU, a WB leaders' meeting in Skopje today. The meeting dedicated to the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans has been hosted by the Prime Minister of North Macedonia, Dimitar Kovachevski. 

13 December 2023 | News

Bregu: Fully functional Common Regional Market can be our vessel to the EU Single Market

Brussels - The European Union (EU) and Western Balkan (WB) leaders reiterated the shared commitment to step up the efforts to enhance integration of the Western Balkans with the EU single market, with the WB Common Regional Market (CRM) serving as a stepping stone for region’s EU integration, at the EU-WB Summit hosted by the EU Council in Brussels today. 

12 December 2023 | News

RCC Reveals Winners of the 2023 Regional Butterfly Innovation Award

Sofia – The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) revealed the winners of the 2023 Regional Butterfly Innovation Award, at a ceremony RCC organized with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria, held in Sofia today. “Congratulations - we hope the Butterfly Innovation Award supports you in navigating challenging markets. Several of last year’s awardees have enhanced their ...

24 November 2023 | News

Bregu: Can you put a price tag on people leaving the region? In a way, yes, you can

Western Balkans is ranked among some of the economies most affected by brain drain, with expectations to lose around one million young people in the coming decade. People leaving the region does not only pose a risk to workforce availability but also threatens additional pressure to health care and pension systems in the region as well. If these projections are to come true, the Western Balkans ...

23 November 2023 | News

RCC Secretary General promotes regional cooperation at the Elcano Royal Institute in Madrid

Madrid – The Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Majlinda Bregu, took part at the event dedicated to the discussion on the Western Balkans accession to the European Union and the role of regional cooperation and RCC, organised within the Spanish Presidency of Council of the European Union by the Elcano Royal Institute in Madrid today. 

21 November 2023 | News

RCC Secretary General meets Moldovan Deputy Prime Minister in Chisinau

The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Secretary General Majlinda Bregu was in a visit to Moldova today where she met with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, Nicu Popescu, to discuss the EU integration of the region and Moldova’s role in the South East Europe Cooperation Process (SEECP) and the RCC. 

14 November 2023 | News

Bregu: Brain Drain is Becoming not just Human Capital but Security Issue Too

Rome - "Migration is becoming one of the biggest problems of today, because countries are emptying. Not just those that result in the inflow of migrants to our region, but also because of the emigration from our region further to the west. Hence, the term of security challenges is dramatically changing. Security challenge is not just conflict resolution or prevention but it is also climate ...

08 November 2023 | News

RCC Board praises the work of the organisation and its Secretary General

Sarajevo – Opening the 50th meeting of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Board in Sarajevo today, the RCC Secretary General, Majlinda Bregu, shared positive outcomes and feedback to the start of implementation of EU-WB Roaming Reductions and the results of continuing regional cooperation presented in the last couple of weeks at the Berlin Process Summit and other meetings.

23 October 2023 | News

Bregu: It is precisely in our diversity that the true potential for cooperation lies

Bruges - “The Western Balkans is like a canvas, painted with all hues of history and diversity, a tapestry of languages, cultures, and painful conflict. Yet it is precisely in this diversity that the true potential for cooperation lies. But, Western Balkans is Europe. Since the EU enlargement process is taking decades, regional cooperation is establishing a norm, not a normative, but ...

16 October 2023 | News

Bregu: Another agreement prepared by the RCC signed today in Tirana

Tirana – The Heads of Governments of the Western Balkans Six signed one more agreement under the Common Regional Market (CRM) Action Plan’s mobility agenda, a process facilitated by the RCC - on the recognition of professional qualifications of nurses, veterinary surgeons, pharmacists, and midwives – at the Berlin Process Summit held in Tirana today.

13 October 2023 | News

Bregu: Role of Parliaments in the Berlin Process is to transform the pledges to reality

Tirana - "The ultimate legal responsibility in the ratification process of most of regional agreements and commitments lies with the parliaments. This once again makes evident the need for stronger engagement of Parliaments in this process, not only to formally add to its democratic legitimacy but to transform the pledges in reality through the ratification process of regional agreements ...

12 October 2023 | News

Bregu: Supporting cities in accelerating their transition to environmentally-friendly & digitally advanced urban environments is imperative

Tirana – The first Local Self-Governments Forum, organised by the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) together with the Municipality of Tirana and the Network of Association of Local Authorities of South East Europe (NALAS), opened in Tirana today. 

04 October 2023 | News

Bregu: By working on digital transformation we are working on Europeanisation of our region

Sarajevo – The sixth Western Balkans Digital Summit (WBDS), hosted by Bosnia and Herzegovina and supported by the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), opened this morning in Sarajevo. 

26 September 2023 | News

Bregu: A human-centric Europe, with Western Balkans firmly in its fold, is the best investment in peace and security for the entire continent

Tirana – “A human-centric Europe, that is adapted, reformed, rebooted and more - with Western Balkans firmly in its fold - is the best investment in peace and security for the entire continent! The Western Balkans has made significant progress in the last two decades, but we are not where we wanted and should be and unfortunately, friction amongst countries persists, and conflicts ...

21 September 2023 | News

Bregu: When global institutions and frameworks are stretched thin, regional bodies can step in to provide stability, continuity, and direction

New York - "The Western Balkans has made significant progress in the last two decades, but the Western Balkans is not where its inhabitants or outside peacemakers hoped we would be twenty-plus years after the guns went largely quiet. Unfortunately, friction amongst economies persists, and conflicts can hinder investments and economic growth in the region. Having in mind this and the ...

25 July 2023 | News

Support for regional cooperation among Western Balkan business people has risen from 69% last year, to 74%

Sarajevo – Last week, the Regional Cooperation Council published the results of the annual Balkan Barometer 2023 Public Opinion Survey. To complete the picture of our region’s opinions about regional cooperation, EU integration, trust in the public institutions and media, their biggest concerns, employment, climate change, security, digital life, transport, rule of law, travel, ...

12 July 2023 | News

RCC, EESC set to deepen civil society and youth engagement in region’s reform processes

Brussels – The Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Majlinda Bregu, and the President of the European Economic and Social Committee, Oliver Röpke, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation between the two organisations, in Brussels today. The purpose of the MoU is to further and streamline cooperation in strengthening the inclusion of civil ...

08 July 2023 | News

Bregu: European leadership, power, and unity have never been more needed in the Western Balkans

"The language of power is the language of leadership. By necessity, and maybe not by choice, the EU is learning every day that speaking the language of power is power itself. European leadership, power, and unity have never been more important, more needed, and more obviously in the interests of EU Member States and other regions worldwide, including the Western Balkans," said Majlinda ...

05 July 2023 | News

Bregu: 49% of Western Balkan citizens are concerned the climate change is affecting their health

Budapest - "According to our recent Balkan Barometer, 49% of the citizens of the WB are concerned that climate change is affecting their health. Moreover, Pollution of Air (57%), Water (44%), and Soil (39%) are listed as the greatest environmental concerns in communities. All Western Balkan countries except Albania rely on coal as their main energy source. 67% of households still use ...

30 June 2023 | News

Bregu: Crucial step to reinforcing critical digital capacities in our region is phasing in EU policies and programmes

Brussels – “Today’s accession to the Digital Europe Programme for four economies from our region is a major development and crucial step to reinforce critical digital capacities in EU and WB. What once seemed almost utopic is now a reality since 2021 - with the regional roaming fees eliminated. We continue to keep our promises on the roaming agenda. During the first Regulatory ...

27 June 2023 | News

Bregu: More cooperation crucial in addressing regional tensions

Podgorica – Heads of State and Government of South East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) commended the work of Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) and recognised its unique role and accomplishments in promoting cooperation, overall development of the region and advancing towards a common future in the European Union, acknowledging RCC’s significance as a focal point for streamlining ...

16 June 2023 | News

RCC wins annual Prespa Forum Dialogue 2023 award

Struga – The Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Majlinda Bregu, took part at the annual Prespa Forum Dialogue (PFD) 2023, taking place 15-16 June 2023 in Struga, North Macedonia, where she received the PFD Award on behalf of RCC, spoke at the panel on regional cooperation, and held a series of bilateral meetings with EU and regional high officials.  ...

12 June 2023 | News

Bregu: Region’s special potential lies in the diversity of possible entrepreneurial engagement that has not been fully utilized just yet

Frankfurt – The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Secretary General Majlinda Bregu was in Frankfurt, Germany, today, taking part at the Digisustain Conference at a panel dedicated to regional competencies and green investment opportunities in the Western Balkans. Digisustain gathers innovators, representatives of non-governmental sector, financial institutions and best-practice leaders ...

05 June 2023 | News

Bregu: Our region deserves a re-energised enlargement process and membership advantages in advance of full accession

Budva – Ministers of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of the South East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) commended the efforts of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) in fostering regional cooperation and integration of the Western Balkan economies into the European Union (EU), focusing on the set of specific  achievements in the past twelve months:  RCC-coordinated EU-WB roaming ...

04 June 2023 | News

Bregu: This year marks one of the most impactful ones for the Western Balkans when it comes to regional cooperation

Budva - "This year marks one of the most impactful ones for the Western Balkans, marking the long-awaited turning point towards commitments taken by the economies of the region, through the Common Regional Market (CRM). With integrity, collegiality and competence - three words of tradition and challenge, we as RCC, together with our regional organisations and in close partnership with ...

29 May 2023 | News

Bregu: Half of all mental disorders begin before the age of 14. What is ‘an ounce of prevention’ when it comes to mental health, and do we take enough care of that?

Our region was recently shocked with an event that happened in Serbia when a young teenage boy killed ten people at school, including nine classmates. A horrible tragedy that rendered all of us silenced for days. In a matter of 24 hours after the school tragedy, another mass murdered happened in our region, when a young 21-year-old man killed 8 people. For all of us in this region those events ...

29 April 2023 | News

BREGU: There is a price to pay for speaking the truth - how much are we willing to spend in “killing the fake news”?

Disinformation is false information deliberately and often covertly spread, such as through the planting of rumors, in order to influence public opinion or obscure the truth. Fake news spreads six times faster than true news. 

04 April 2023 | News

Bregu: Economic importance of tourism can make or break any region

Tirana – “Western Balkans pre-pandemic tourism showed positive trends. More than 12 million people visited the region, which brought a profit of 7.2 billion EUR. Tourism made 10.2% of the region’s GDP and accounted for more than 25% of exports. While one can go figure digging through reports, the core question for all of us is how to position Western Balkans at the world ...

03 April 2023 | News

Bregu: CRM will bring the Western Balkans closer to EU Single Market

RCC Secretary General spoke before Albanian Parliament of the RCC’s co-oganisation of the upcoming Berlin Process Summit in Tirana this fall    Tirana – The Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Majlinda Bregu spoke before the Albanian Parliament’s National Council of European Integration (NCEI) in Tirana today about co-organisation ...

28 March 2023 | News

Bregu: Digitalisation momentum in Western Balkans calls for improvement e-service accessibility improvement and reduction of digital divide

Sarajevo – Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and European Investment Bank (EIB) gathered region’s ministers and other high ranking government officials, local and international experts in digital projects, key donors and financial institutions, as well as business representatives from the Western Balkans at the “Financing Digitalisation ...

15 March 2023 | News

Bregu: Continued all-inclusive regional cooperation remains key in strengthening economic resilience of Western Balkans

Sarajevo – “External risks arising from the current geopolitical crisis and the rise in commodity prices reinforce the purpose of the Common Regional Market agenda. Continued all-inclusive regional cooperation remains the key towards strengthening economic resilience of the Western Balkans,” said Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Majlinda Bregu, ...

02 March 2023 | News

Bregu: Wellbeing, health and thriving population should be foundation of every growth policy

Copenhagen – “Economic growth cannot be the only and ultimate policy objective. Collective wellbeing, healthy and thriving population where no one is left behind should be the foundation of every growth policy. The ambitious post-pandemic recovery aspirations are crushed against the stark realities of our fellow citizens in South East Europe who struggle with galloping inflation ...

17 February 2023 | News

Bregu: Western Balkans is an important piece of the European security and stability puzzle

The annual 59th Munich Security Conference (MSC) started in Munich today gathering world leaders to discuss topics of global security, defence, technology, and sustainability while keeping the focus on the still ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. Alongside many world and European leaders, the MSC was attended by Olaf Scholz, German Chancellor, Emanuel Macron, French President, Volodymyr ...

18 November 2022 | News

Bregu: 82.9% of Western Balkan citizens agree that regional cooperation can help in improving economic resilience

Rome/Sarajevo – “The EU and the Western Balkans share many evolving, borderless security threats, from radicalisation, violent extremism, and return of Foreign Terrorist Fighters to irregular migration, organised crime, corruption, disinformation and cyber-attacks. Such joint priorities have been re-validated by the war in Ukraine by also making clear the important role of the Western ...

09 November 2022 | News

RCC Board participants praise the organisation, congratulate its Secretary General on the excellent, for our region extremely important job done

Sarajevo – Opening the 47th meeting of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Board in Sarajevo today, the RCC Secretary General, Majlinda Bregu, shared very positive outcomes of regional cooperation presented in the last couple of weeks during the Berlin Process Summit and related meetings. 

03 November 2022 | News

Bregu: It’s done - the three RCC-coordinated centrepiece mobility agreements finally see the light of day

Berlin – The Heads of Governments of the Western Balkans Six signed the three mobility agreements under the Common Regional Market (CRM) Action Plan’s mobility agendas - on Freedom of Movement with Identity Cards, on Recognition of Higher Education Qualifications, and on Recognition of Professional Qualifications for Doctors of Medicine, Dentists and Architects – at the ...

24 October 2022 | News

Bregu: Keeping the Green Agenda implementation torch lit is difficult, but there are no U-turns in a climate change-vulnerable region like ours

Berlin/Sarajevo – “Keeping the torch lit on the implementation of the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans that was developed in times of stability was a hellishly difficult task in these times of adversity. It is clearly overshadowed by the impact of the war and the pan-European energy price surge. There will be no quick fixes and silver bullets for this colossal challenge ahead ...

21 October 2022 | News

All-inclusive regional cooperation and Common Regional Market deliver results

Berlin/Sarajevo – The Western Balkans (WB) Foreign Ministers approved three regional agreements - on Freedom of Movement with Identity Cards, on Recognition of Higher Education Qualifications, and on Recognition of Professional Qualifications for Doctors of Medicine, Dentists and Architects – at the WB-EU ministerial meeting, organised within the Berlin Process by the German Government ...

21 September 2022 | News

Bregu: Digitalisation necessitates an intergenerational approach

Pristina – “Today is a great day for Pristina.  It is the centre of gravity of one of the greatest Berlin Process initiatives – the Western Balkans Digital Summit. Pristina today bursts and radiates with the dynamism of so many start-ups, companies, experts and policy makers – all united in their drive to harness the potentials of digitisation for our region’s ...

28 June 2022 | News

Bregu: Having an environment that supports innovation and creativity helps our democracies to be stronger

Tirana – “There is a political decision on when our economies will become full EU member states, but there is also a responsibility all of us carry on how to make our economies closer to the European standards present here in this region. So, for all of us who share a sense of discomfort after the last week’s EU summit, I have to say there are deep and concrete figures and ...

28 June 2022 | News

Bregu: We hope Butterfly Innovation Award will shine a light on the regional innovation community and its undiscovered potential

Tirana – “This spring we launched the first Regional Butterfly Innovation Award. ‘What is now proved was once only imagination’- this Blake’s quote fits perfectly the 154 ideas in six competing categories - largely exceeded our boldest expectations. Women led almost half of the teams or most team members were women. This competition proves that innovation can ...

24 June 2022 | News

Bregu: Support of Western Balkan citizens to regional cooperation remains stable at 76%

Brussels – “While many things change, our public and business perceptions surveys remain a truthful source of sentiments across the region. At times, the results surprise us, sometimes they serve as a wake-up call, while on other occasions they confirm that our efforts are not in vain as citizens and businesses feel the benefits of our work. 76% of Western Balkan citizens find ...

17 June 2022 | News

Bregu: Establishing one single market should stay the ultimate goal of Western Balkans

Ohrid – “Rome is not built in one day, and building a single market is easier said than done. The process of Western Balkans economic integration and its EU integration is not an easy one, but I hope it will not take us 35 years to get there, as it took the European Union to build one single market. None of us in this region has any luxury of losing any single day, especially ...

11 June 2022 | News

Dr. Erhard Busek Champion of Regional Cooperation

Sarajevo/Thessaloniki – “In one of his last conveys he said: “Equating the EU with the Europe means leaving out a quarter of the continent – and a rather important part, as Eastern and Southeastern Europe border on world powers and vital regions.” Busek was gentle, humanitarian, liberal, a man who believed in a meeting of the minds as a key to the European endeavour. ...

10 June 2022 | News

Bregu: We defined and put forward the leading regional cooperation & integration frameworks, now one market is the ultimate goal of Western Balkans

Thessaloniki - The Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Majlinda Bregu took part at the South East Europe Cooperation Process events - the meeting of SEECP Ministers of Foreign Affairs and the Summit of SEECP leaders - in Thessaloniki today. The meetings’ participants commended the work of the RCC and its Secretary General as well as the achievements in streamlining ...

09 June 2022 | News

Bregu: As long as we continue to subscribe to dialogue, compromise and cooperation, we invest in long-term stability, security and prosperity

Thessaloniki – “Under the political guidance of SEECP and in consultations with all relevant actors and stakeholders, RCC identified those gaps in which the region should invest with technical as well as political capital. These all fall under the category of sustainable development, green and digital transformation, pooling of knowledge and resources, and enhancing inclusivity. ...

31 May 2022 | News

Bregu: Regional cooperation is complex and hard hitting, but it’s the way forward

Rotterdam – “Our realities today are drastically different, with the war in Ukraine sending shockwaves and exacerbating two trends that were already in the making: slowed growth and inflation. For an illustration, food and beverage prices increased between 7% in Albania and 13% in Serbia. Overall inflation is projected to reach whooping 6.3% in 2022. But beside inflation and higher ...

18 May 2022 | News

Bregu: With slowed growth & inflation, higher energy & food prices, Western Balkans will have to amp-up regional cooperation

Sarajevo - It is very difficult to sugar-coat the severity of economic effects of the war on the Western Balkans. It is equally difficult to accurately predict the true and longer-term impact, or to identify the opportunities for the region along the way. Our realities today are drastically different, with the war in Ukraine sending shockwaves and exacerbating two trends that were already ...

12 May 2022 | News

Bregu: Removing barriers is the first step in positioning Western Balkans at the world tourism map 

Tirana – “Tourism has a vast potential as a major catalyst for job creation and a driving force for economic growth and development especially for tourism dependent regions like ours. In 2019 more than 12 million people visited Western Balkans, which brought us a profit of 7.2 billion euros. The post-pandemic period of 2021 shows 70% recovery in all tourism visits, while WB regional ...

20 April 2022 | News

Bregu: Enhanced regional cooperation and clear enlargement prospect for the region are vital to overcome challenges

Brussels/Sarajevo – “The war in Ukraine will affect economic growth in the region. Although share of economic output directly tied to Russia and Ukraine is relatively small for the Western Balkans as a whole, the economic ties on essential sectors such as energy and agriculture have exposed the region vulnerability and raised the inflation. The escalation of conflict is already ...

11 March 2022 | News

Bregu: When women engage, take responsibilities, grow and help each other they can be a rising tide that lifts all boats

Tirana – “The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) is launching today the first Regional Women in Entrepreneurship Network in the Western Balkans. We will not boil the sea right away. But sometimes the smallest act can lead to the biggest impact. We will engage ourselves not only to connect women with each other but also to lend a helping hand with the informational support and ...

20 February 2022 | News

Bregu: Western Balkans’ growth potential can be unlocked only through regional economic integration

Munich – “European integration and transatlantic cooperation should not look decoupled in the Western Balkans (WB). It’s high time to put the process of EU accession of the WB into the spotlight before too late becomes a lifetime. This is the centre of gravity for the future of the Western Balkans. The European perspective is the drive that makes the process of cooperation ...

06 December 2021 | News

Bregu: EU and Balkans security challenges are becoming ever more interrelated amidst new global threats

Paris/Sarajevo – “The European Union and the Western Balkans security challenges are becoming ever more interrelated and connected to a set of a new global threats. We have to face that we are at an inflection point. We might soon be facing a crisis—a humanitarian and security crisis, as security issues are common, so common and collective should also be our response,” ...

25 November 2021 | News

Bregu: Being Europeans is not written in DNA but what you believe and fight for

“It’s not breaking news any longer that our youth is leaving the region. One out of 3 youngsters, age 18-24, in the Western Balkans confirms that they are ready to leave their homeland. We should understand the message – their choice of destination shows what’s missing in their own societies. We just need to observe, listen and the most importantly act –give ...

15 November 2021 | News

Bregu: The antidote to slowing down EU enlargement process is more ambitious integration of Western Balkans in the EU single market policies

Brussels/Sarajevo: “European perspective of the Western Balkans is the drive that makes the process of cooperation beneficial to all in the long-term. I believe EU has all the leverage needed to keep the EU perspective in WB alive. Without a credible path to EU membership, the WB could easily succumb to regional nationalism” said Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council ...

26 October 2021 | News

Bregu: RCC takes pride in achieving more tangible results for Western Balkan citizens

Belgrade – Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) has been awarded by the European Western Balkans for its unwavering commitment to the European future of the region, continued strengthening of regional cooperation and connecting the region by facilitating the Roam-Free-Western-Balkans, as well as principled promotion and work on furthering economic cooperation in the Western Balkans. RCC ...

15 October 2021 | News

Bregu: European perspective of Western Balkans is the drive that makes the process of cooperation beneficial

Sarajevo – “European perspective of Western Balkans is the drive that makes the process of cooperation beneficial to all in long-term. It is of highest importance that both the region and the EU deliver on the respective commitments – particularly when we take into account that optimism regarding the time of accession has been declining.  More ambitious actions for ...

13 October 2021 | News

Bregu proposes creation of ‘Digital Identity’ system for Western Balkan citizens, modelled on the EU one

Podgorica – “We are racing to reach high standards of EU MS. Despite trying to run with the same speed as EU MS, we started our race later and hence we can never reach EU unless “phasing in” in EU policies is duly implemented,” said Majlinda Bregu, Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) at the closing of the 4th Digital Summit of the Western ...

06 October 2021 | News

Bregu: It is crunch time to deliver on reducing roaming costs between the EU and Western Balkans

Brdo pri Kranju/Sarajevo – “As the agendas of regional cooperation build in intensity and challenges get bigger, we witness daily that the process of cooperation among Western Balkan Six cannot afford a stalemate,” said Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Secretary General, Majlinda Bregu, at the EU-Western Balkans Summit that gathered EU and WB leaders at Brdo pri Kranju ...

18 September 2021 | News

Bregu, Escobar discuss regional economic integration

Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Majlinda Bregu met with US State Department officials, including newly appointed US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Gabriel Escobar in Washington yesterday to discuss regional cooperation, single market in the region, security cooperation and Western Balkans green agenda. 

07 September 2021 | News

Bregu: It is time for youth to be louder and play smarter

Skopje – “I would highly encourage you to leave the region. Yes, go abroad and see other cultures, but come back. Only by learning from others we can make our region better place for all of us and make a change. That is why we do not want to invent algorithm, but to make youth voices being heard. In that regard, I want to compliment you for trying hard to implement policies and ...

10 July 2021 | News

Bregu: Kinship, solidarity and political pragmatism give sense to regional cooperation, benefits of which have been proven time and time again

Dubrovnik/Sarajevo – “It is not bureaucracy and business as usual agenda that gives a sense to regional cooperation. It’s kinship, solidarity and political pragmatism. That’s what we are trying to do. To give a face to valued cooperation in a process where people are participating. Benefits of cooperation have been proven time and time again, success stories that RCC ...

05 July 2021 | News

Bregu: Let the Roaming Free be the turning point for the regional cooperation - “Borderless Connectivity” benefits everyone

RCC Secretary General Bregu takes part in the Berlin Process Summit hosted by German Chancellor Merkel Tirana/Berlin/Sarajevo – “We know regional cooperation will prevail on the strength of its ideas and ideals, not on the disputes and the name of documents. We know economies of the region will be competitive when they should be, and collaborative when they must be. We just ...

02 July 2021 | News

Bregu: 71% of young people from Western Balkans would go live and work abroad – this is an alarm bell for us all

Ohrid – “The prospect of potential EU membership has been a driving force during all these years, for all Western Balkan economies. According to the Balkan Barometer data, the support of Western Balkans citizens of the EU membership is steadily increasing. Compared to 2016, when it was supported by 39% of WB citizens, 62% of the citizens are supporting it now. We don’t know ...

28 June 2021 | News

Bregu: Discrimination against Roma remains very high, and we have to take actions to reduce and prevent it

Sarajevo – “According to the Balkan Barometer 2021, around 40% of the businesses in the Western Balkans are still reluctant to hire Roma even when they meet the criteria. 63% of Western Balkan citizens do not want their children to share the classroom with Roma children. So, while Poznan Declaration adopted by the region’s leaders 2 years ago clearly stipulates achievements ...

25 June 2021 | News

Bregu: People want and need to be connected in many ways and Roaming Free region is one of the ways enabling it

Podgorica – “People want and need to be connected in many ways and Roaming Free region is one of the ways enabling it. Looking back three years ago, when the Western Balkan Leaders decided to lower the roaming prices within the region, no one had thought that we would have region with 0 roaming charges that soon. And here we are, counting days before Roaming Free Western Balkans,” ...

24 June 2021 | News

Bregu: Balkan Barometer reveals human uncertainty and vulnerability are main concerns followed by some goodish news on benefits of regional cooperation

Tirana – “This, seventh in a row, Balkan Barometer shows human uncertainty and vulnerability are the main concerns followed by some goodish news which is the consciousness about the benefits of regional cooperation. For 49% of Western Balkan citizens, unemployment is the biggest problem, as it is for young people as well, while 46% are most worried about the economic situation. ...

17 June 2021 | News

Bregu: Voice, concerns, hopes & expectations of the people from the region are core of the RCC work

Antalya – Leaders of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) approved the RCC-developed strategy for socio-economic development of South East Europe (SEE) in the next decade – SEE2030 Strategy, at their Summit held in Antalya, Turkey today. 

16 June 2021 | News

Bregu: 2020 was difficult, but a real progress and achievements have been made for development of our region

Antalya – “Last year, ruled by the pandemic has definitely showcased the extent of our interconnectivity and interdependency and demonstrated that in cooperating, we boost our strengths and resilience. It is clear that regional socio-economic integration is crucial for regional development. There is no doubt about the fact that cooperation brings mutual benefit to its participants. ...

10 June 2021 | News

Bregu: The distance between the vision & plan for Common Regional Market calls for more resolute actions

Tirana – “EU integration support in the Western Balkans continues to increase: this year it is backed up by 62% of citizens compared to 59% of last year. The support of our citizens and businesses of regional cooperation is even higher - 77% of citizens believe regional cooperation can contribute to better political, economic or security situation at home, while 69% of businesses ...

08 June 2021 | News

Bregu: Common Regional Market is a rule of thumb, not a law of nature

Sarajevo/Tirana – “Common Regional Market (CRM) is a rule of thumb, not a law of nature. It doesn’t apply to every single national vision a government or economy in the region has, nor to every kind of good or bad bilateral relations. It is a broaden-and-build plan, endorsed by the Leaders of this region to enable a better region. The RCC is only trying to steer an intense ...

31 May 2021 | News

Bregu: With regional youth unemployment rate at 35.1% the need to act is clear, as youth is our most precious asset

Sarajevo/Online – “Youth and jobs has not been a good combination in the Western Balkans for some time. The average regional youth unemployment rate in 2020 was 35.1%, which is more than double the European Union (EU) rate of 16.9%.  Some of it can be blamed on the COVID 19 pandemic that stopped job creation, but changing the situation with youth unemployment requires eliminating ...

27 May 2021 | News

BALKHATHON 2.0 award ceremony: Six Best Teams to be Awarded for their Digital Solutions

Sarajevo/Podgorica – Winners of the second Western Balkans’ online competition for the best digital solutions, BALKATHON 2.0 are to receive their awards tomorrow, 28 May 2021, at the final event starting at 10.00 hrs live on the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) YouTube channel and Facebook page.   

24 May 2021 | News

Bregu: 70% of Western Balkans citizens are afraid their children or young relatives might be radicalised online

Sarajevo – “The current global pandemic made it clear that security threats are not taking any time off. The region finds it very important to work on addressing the security challenges in the Western Balkans. It is quite interesting that 55% of those 82% who point out organised crime as the main security threat say it is corruption that fuels its existence,” said Secretary ...

07 May 2021 | News

Bregu: Region’s efforts on the Common Regional Market reform agenda are widely recognized & supported

RCC hosts the first Donor Coordination meeting on Common Regional Market   Sarajevo/Tirana – “Region’s efforts regarding the Common Regional Market (CRM) reform agenda are widely recognized and supported, including at the recent G7 Foreign and Development Ministers’ Meeting, where the leaders supported further progress on regional cooperation through the Common ...

04 May 2021 | News

Bregu: Cooperative policies won’t happen unless they have domestic support at home and we commit ourselves to meeting what was promised

Roaming free Western Balkans Six as of 1 July: Stay Charged, Roam Free!  “1.4 million people in the Western Balkans are registered as unemployed. Out of that number, 760,000 are women, while 173,000 are young people. There are 1 million more men working in the Western Balkans than women. Are you still wondering why we need the Common Regional Market?  

19 April 2021 | News

Bregu: 93% of young people in the Western Balkans believe public administrations should involve young people in decision-making

Sarajevo, Tirana – “According to Balkan Barometer 2021, 93% of young people in the Western Balkans age 18-24 believe that public administrations should strengthen mechanisms for consulting and involving young people in decision-making. This clearly shows the path for all our further actions in which youth, policy makers and donors will sit together to discuss in constructive way ...

15 April 2021 | News

Bregu: Men outnumber women in the region’s labour force by more than a million

Sarajevo/New York – The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) launched today the Regional Network of Women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) as part of a RCC-UNDP joint initiative on Women Economic Empowerment (WEE), drawing on the Common Regional Market Action Plan 2021-2024.

14 April 2021 | News

Bregu, Grlic-Radman discuss South East Europe Strategy 2030 and Green Lanes between EU and WB

Sarajevo – The Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Majlinda Bregu, welcomed the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Croatia, Gordan Grlić-Radman, at the organisation’s headquarters in Sarajevo today. 

08 April 2021 | News

Western Balkans endorses Tirana Declaration to Support Tourism in the Region

Sarajevo/Tirana – Ministers and representatives of the six Western Balkans (WB) governments endorsed the Tirana Declaration on supporting sustainable tourism recovery and growth in the region, at the high-level regional conference marking the finalisation of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC)’s EU-funded Tourism Development and Promotion project, held in Tirana today.

11 March 2021 | News

Bregu: 77% of Western Balkans citizens agree that the relations in the region are better than a year ago

Sarajevo/Tirana – “The months since our last meeting in October have been difficult with the onset of new Covid-19 waves and new variants of the virus turning things topsy-turvy with a downward spiralling. In terms of regional cooperation, the big good news was the success of the Sofia Summit of the Berlin Process and the endorsement of the Declaration on Green Agenda for the ...

08 March 2021 | News

RCC’s “WE’’ Campaign Continues: Only once you are authentic, can you truly bring your best into the business!

Sarajevo/Tirana/Belgrade – “Business world is harsh for young people, especially women in Western Balkans, where they account for only 27.5% of business owners, and just 14.2% of companies’ top managers are female. Gender prejudices are not vanished yet, but there are always those who "fight" them and win, like Zoja Kukic, an entrepreneur from Serbia. And we, as ...

02 March 2021 | News

Bregu: Futourismo is a new hope to help our region recover its tourism

Tirana/Sarajevo – Seven teams from the Western Balkans: •    Guidi for app Veni, Vidi, Guidi  •    BIB for 'Be in Balkan' Mobile Application,  •    Digital Clinic for e-Health Tourism •    TED for Safe Traveling Western Balkans •    Sanatec7 for 'Virtual Culture' •   ...

11 December 2020 | News

Bregu: Hire women, promote women and invest in women - that is our future

Sarajevo/Tirana/New York - "What we are launching today is a platform which will allow us all to strategise on how to best contribute to unlocking women power in the region. The reasons are obvious. Prior to pandemic, almost two-thirds of working-age women in the Western Balkans were either unemployed or outside the labour force. Unlocking the potential of half the population is not ...

07 December 2020 | News

‘Regional cooperation’ and ‘regional integration’ are the two sides of the same coin

Brussels/Sarajevo - "‘Regional cooperation’ and ‘regional integration’ are the two sides of the same coin. Integrating markets might be more of a process of EU integration. But regional cooperation is more than integrating markets. It is a political process. That is why the Common Regional Market Action Plan, signed by WB6 leaders in Sofia last month, is a good ...

10 November 2020 | News

Transformation will not happen overnight but setting bold goals will accelerate the change if we can work together

Sofia - A new phase of regional economic integration started today with the Western Balkans Six leaders endorsing the Common Regional Market Action Plan, and the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans, both facilitated by the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), at the Berlin Process Summit held online in Sofia today.   

09 November 2020 | News

Western Balkan governments will have to shoulder responsibility to implement Common Regional Market

Sofia - “Tomorrow the six Western Balkan leaders will endorse the new Action Plan for this region - Common Regional Market. Common Regional Market is not a novelty from the scratch: It is a great plan based on four freedoms, the same as EU Single Market, strengthened with investment, digital, industry and innovation. We are proud to have shouldered the heavy burden of this process together ...

02 November 2020 | News

While EU and the world are advancing to fit to the Digital Age, we need to run twice as fast to close the discrepancies

Tirana/Sarajevo – “At the last years' Digital Summit in Belgrade we witnessed a success story when the ministers of the Western Balkans (WB) six in charge of information and communication technologies signed the new Regional Roaming Agreement, paving a way for roaming free WB in 2021. I’m confident the region will deliver again having full support from European Commission ...

27 October 2020 | News

Roma integration should not be a matter of empathy for a vulnerable group, but a matter of principle of treating equally all WB citizens

26 October 2020 | News

We now pay between 83% and 96% less roaming charges in the entire Western Balkans, and as of July 2021 roaming costs will be 0

Tirana/Sarajevo – The Third Western Balkans Digital Summit (WBDS) has been opened in Tirana today, continuing its legacy, which started at the WBDS Skopje in 2018 – the first ever WB DS that initiated digital policy dialogue on WB digital transformation at the highest prime ministers level, followed by the DS in Belgrade in 2019 with the signing of the Regional Roaming Agreement. ...

22 October 2020 | News

CRM is a stepping stone for the WB to align with EU single market rules

Belgrade/Sarajevo – “Some estimates say that regional economic integration in the Western Balkans could generate up to 2.5% of GDP growth should the level of integration reach the level of EFTA, and should it reach the EU level of integration, it could generate 6.7% of GDP growth. Therefore, I am pleased that by Sofia Summit on 10 November we will have a very good roadmap action ...

16 October 2020 | News

Bregu: The region needs common market to ensure free movement of business people, drivers and citizens in the Western Balkans

Sarajevo/Tirana/Skopje - “We are not a perfect region, but we want to make the best out of an imperfect picture. As a first step from today the Regional Cooperation Council is proud to facilitate an all-inclusive regional agreement on movement with ID cards. Our commercial and trade relations in the region cannot run anymore on business as usual basis. We have to have a common market, ...

15 October 2020 | News

Bregu: Common Regional Market is the way forward

Sarajevo, Tirana - “Multi Annual Action Plan for Regional Economic Area (MAP REA) is in its final stage of implementation. Now it’s clear that the region has benefited from this regional frame but is also ready for an upgrade. We have the Regional Roaming Agreement, Regional Investment Reform Agenda, Digital Summits as a success stories that remind us of the power of togetherness ...

01 October 2020 | News

Economic integration among the Western Balkans 6, and with the EU, is the most important in this moment

Tirana/Sarajevo – “I believe that closer relations in the process of European integration of the region, especially economic integration among the Western Balkans (WB) 6, and with the EU, are the most important in this moment. Because regional economic integration of the WB is not a self-standing process, but an instrument to increase region’s convergence with the EU single ...

22 September 2020 | News

Bregu: With joint border crossing points Western Balkans could save 800 mil euro a year – we should set them among WB but also with EU

Sarajevo/Skopje/Belgrade – “If we would have more joint border crossing points and if those would be working 24/7, with all the regulation in place, phytosanitary proc

28 August 2020 | News

What would we expect from a more geopolitical EU?

Bratislava/Tirana/Sarajevo – “What would we expect from a more geopolitical EU? Simple: Clear and bold decisions to acknowledge the good of having Western Balkans in the EU as well as the damage associated with long prolong EU membership. Western Balkans citizens would expect more resilient and righteous decisions from EU Member States. Their domestic political landscape and worries often ...

13 August 2020 | News

Bregu: We’ve got your back, it’s youth time!

Sarajevo – For the 4th time in a row the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) is the patron of the 'Heart of Sarajevo' award for the Best Student Film at the 26th Sarajevo Film Festival (SFF), which this year, due to the corona virus pandemic, goes fully online.

25 June 2020 | News

Bregu: It is up to the region to retain commitment to cooperation and bring forth tangible progress to citizens

Tirana/Sarajevo/Prishtina – The two meetings have been held today within the South East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) - the meeting of the SEECP Ministers of Foreign Affairs and the RCC Annual Meeting, which RCC co-organised with the outgoing Kosovo SEECP Chairmanship-in-Office (CiO).

24 June 2020 | News

Bregu: Cooperation is the only blueprint that holds the promise of ‘Stronger Together’

Sarajevo – “The regional cooperation continues to grow in prominence with an overwhelming majority of citizens supportive of its role in improving the political, economic and security situation in their home economies - 77%, and 65% of them believes that what brings WB citizens together is more important than what separates us. The quick spread of COVID -19 was a grim reminder ...

23 June 2020 | News

The Shape of the Things to Come - Presentation of Balkan Barometer 2020

Sarajevo – The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) will present 2020 edition of Balkan Barometer on Wednesday 24 June 2020. This annual public and business opinion survey of the RCC examines the perception and expectations on life and work, prevalent socio-economic and political trends & regional and European integration in the Western Balkan. The 2020 edition presents for the first ...

16 June 2020 | News

Minister Cakaj visits RCC, meets Secretary General Bregu and expresses Albania’s support to RCC and regional cooperation

Sarajevo – Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Albania, Gent Cakaj, visited the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) office in Sarajevo today on the sidelines of his official visit to Sarajevo and meetings with highest Bosnia and Herzegovina’s officials.  Minister Cakaj said that he would consider his visit to Sarajevo incomplete without the visit to the RCC, as Albania is very ...

26 May 2020 | News

Bregu: Western Balkans needs to switch its development trajectory from physical capital accumulation to knowledge accumulation

Sarajevo/Tirana/Geneva - “Still unpublished latest edition of the RCC’s annual public and business survey for the Wester Balkans -  Balkan Barometer 2020 shows that, as expected, internet was extensively used for communication purposes with the proliferation of social media (69%), while traditionally it was less popular for education (30%) and online shopping (22%). E-government ...

14 May 2020 | News

Bregu: Pandemic created a common awareness that at least for now humankind takes precedence over politics and disputes

Sarajevo – “For all its aggressiveness, the COVID-19 crisis also offers glimmers of hope. It has connected Western Balkans even more, this time in a fight against an invisible enemy. It has persuaded us that cooperation should be resilient. It has created a common awareness that at least for now humankind takes precedence over politics and disputes, while borders are considered ...

06 May 2020 | News

Bregu: No brilliant regional plan can succeed without strong political leadership and fully synchronized EU- WB trajectories

Sarajevo/Tirana/Zagreb - Now, almost 4 years after we initiated the work on Regional Economic Area (REA) the region is ready to embark on the next phase of deepening regional economic cooperation assure the WB6 economies to have ownership first, and bringing the region closer to the EU internal market. While it is my pleasure to officially commit today the full readiness and dedication ...

24 March 2020 | News

Statement by RCC Secretary General Majlinda Bregu on EU Member States’ decision to open negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia

Tirana/Sarajevo – “Good news for us today as the EU Member States reached a long overdue political agreement to open the accession talks with Albania and North Macedonia, confirming that the future of the Western Balkans is in Europe. I wholeheartedly congratulate both Albania and North Macedonia which demonstrated their determination to advance the EU reform agenda and continue ...

20 March 2020 | News

Bregu: The only way to prevent shortages of medical equipment or food in WB is to simplify and harmonize sanitary controls – a Green Corridor

Tirana/Sarajevo – The Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Majlinda Bregu, spoke last night at the Tirana based RTV Klan’s Opinion show, about the major distress in the region after the European Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/402, which imposes new rules, for the export of personal protective equipment and medical equipment outside the EU. ...

18 March 2020 | News

Bregu: Cooperation is crucial in having effective response to fight the pandemic

Sarajevo – “These are days of rapid developments by a minute, both at the level of EU and our region and timing, information sharing and coordination is of essence. Cooperation is crucial in having the effective response to fight the pandemic. 

21 February 2020 | News

Bregu: Without strategic innovation Western Balkans will not turn inventions into investments – we need to think bigger

Tirana – “Without a strategic innovation function that can enhance the capacities to incubate and accelerate new technologies, companies in the Western Balkans will continue to stockpiling undeveloped inventions and this will not return in an investment. We risk falling into the trap of having breakthrough ideas that are incrementally executed. Innovation in the region is 33,7 % while ...

17 February 2020 | News

Bregu: Affinity, empathy and kinship give sense of cooperation and solidarity, not bureaucracy and “business as usual”

Brussels – “As an Albanian, I’m overwhelmed and most emotional by the immense support shown here today. The November earthquake was maybe the longest minute of my life so far. It is heartbreaking to hear testimonies of those who lost their dearest ones and face the uncertainty of the future for the ones that had lost their home. It is not bureaucracy and a “business as usual” ...

10 February 2020 | News

Bregu: Regional cooperation is all about joint solutions to common challenges

31 January 2020 | News

Bregu: We are committed to enable the region to be an exporter of security

Berlin – “Nearly half of all respondents of the RCC’s Balkan Barometer are unhappy with the security situation in their economy - with estimates that five out of the six surveyed economies, Albania excluded, make the world’s top 20 list for civilian gun ownership. However we are happy to notice that the security reality in the region have already started improve for the better”, ...

31 January 2020 | News

Bregu: This is much needed opportunity to work together on transformation of our countries into the future EU member states

Berlin – The Republic of France has decide to re-join the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), announced French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs, Jean-Yves Le Drian, at the high-level meeting of the Franco-German Coordination Initiative on Small Arms and Light Weapons Control in the Western Balkans, taking place in Berlin today.  

30 January 2020 | News

RCC Secretary General Bregu meets Commissioners Varhelyi and Gabriel in Brussels: RCC remains reliable EU partner in the region

Brussels – “2020 is a critical year for the region and mutual relations between the EU and the Western Balkans but also for unhindered economic growth. RCC remains a reliable partner of the EU in the region but also a reliable partner of the region in the EU. We all have high hopes and expectations of new, positive developments during the Croatian Presidency of the EU and the upcoming ...

17 January 2020 | News

Bregu: Parliamentary dialogue and cooperation remain a steady beacon in the ongoing struggle for democracy

Tirana – “In times when politics is in critical condition, Parliamentary dialogue between the Western Balkans and EU on the future of the region is much needed.  Therefore I would propose to start an institutionalised dialogue In this regard, and the regional Cooperation Council (RCC) stands ready to facilitate it” said RCC Secretary General Majlinda Bregu at the opening of the ...

27 December 2019 | News

Bregu: I am gratified that during the leaving year regional cooperation delivered, even under stress

Sarajevo  - At the end of 2019, it is time to wrap up the year, summing up activities of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) and announcing our future plans: Here is the statement of our Secretary General, Majlinda Bregu on this occasion: 

25 December 2019 | News

RCC fully committed to regional cooperation

Sarajevo – There have been many discrepancies and a lack of clear information on the role of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) in the so called “Mini-Schengen” initiative meetings. Regional Cooperation Council is invited to “Mini-Schengen” meetings together with EU, USA, WB, EBRD & EIB, to hear the proposals of the Western Balkan (WB) leaders.

21 December 2019 | News

Bregu: Pleased to see that Western Balkans regional initiative focuses on people and clearly outlines EU integration as its final goal

Tirana – “We at the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) are pleased to see that this regional initiative places primary focus on people, particularly that it clearly outlines our ultimate destination – the European Union (EU). We also welcome ambitious list for the next meeting already in January 2020, especially in the part on the framework agreement allowing citizens to live, ...

11 December 2019 | News

EU boosts support for regional cooperation in the Western Balkans

Brussels - In the margins of the Western Balkan Sherpas meeting, which took place in Brussels today in the run-up to the EU-Western Balkans Summit in May 2020, the European Commission reinforced its support to regional cooperation in the Western Balkans. The signed contract for continued cooperation with RCC worth EUR 12.5 million aims at further strengthening RCC’s activities over the ...

03 December 2019 | News

Bregu: It’s time to come with a clear stand on the accession process of the Western Balkans

Brussels – “Time to end pretence!  EU should honour its Treaty and come with a clear stand on the accession process of the Western Balkans. Thanks to the new EU Commission president  Ursula von der for clearly articulating the vision of Europe as a continent. We hope this will be the goal and approach of all EU Member States. And we in the region need to roll up our ...

02 December 2019 | News

Bregu: It’s high time for the Western Balkans to address challenges and sensitivities with a clearer and ambitious vision

Brussels – “The region is at a different landscape. It is high time to address challenges and sensitivities with a clearer and ambitious vision. We are initiating the process of the new economic vision beyond 2020 in close consultation with all six Western Balkan (WB) economies and the European Union (EU)”, said Majlinda Bregu, Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council ...

21 November 2019 | News

Bregu: Demographic trends in the Western Balkans and the EU are the best illustration of the real aspirations and needs of the citizens

Zagreb – “Both Europe and Western Balkans are changing demographically, frequently as a model of ‘sending’ and ‘receiving’ countries, as most of around 230,000 citizens have legally migrated from the region to the EU in 2018 alone, while more than 5 million (or 1/4 of the actual population) have migrated in the last 7 years. With young people these figures are even higher: although ...

19 November 2019 | News

Bregu: The region vests high hopes in the upcoming Croatian Presidency of the EU Council in 2020

Zagreb – “Priorities of the Croatian 6-month Presidency of the European Union (EU) Council beginning in January 2020 stressing the usage of full potential of infrastructure and human resources, connectivity and networking of the economies, mesh well with the regional cooperation goals set in our Regional Economic Area action plan (MAP REA). Western Balkan economies expect a lot of ...

18 November 2019 | News

RCC takes IISG – Western Balkans’ internal security governance platform under its wing

Skopje – “We will be bigger. As of next year the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) will coordinate one of the most important agendas of the region: security. Security threats do not need any visa or border checks”, said the RCC's Secretary General, Majlinda Bregu after today’s 4th meeting of the Integrative Internal Security Governance (IISG) Board, held in Skopje, at which functional ...

12 November 2019 | News

Bregu: For us at RCC, the Regional Cooperation is a Developing Story

Sarajevo – “We have been asked and received a lot of questions on Novi Sad and Ohrid meetings, the so called “mini-Schengen” and our role in this.

10 November 2019 | News

Bregu: RCC supports all initiatives contributing towards EU ‘single market’-like agenda for Western Balkans

Ohrid – “The Regional Cooperation Council supports all initiatives that contribute towards an EU ‘single market’-like agenda for our region, based on the four freedoms. The initiatives should fully mirror the EU models and in such a way represent a stepping stone to our full EU integration”, said Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Secretary General Majlinda Bregu ...

05 November 2019 | News

Low women employment and labour market skills mismatch in Western Balkans call for stronger cooperation

Istanbul – “The women unemployment in the Western Balkans is 60%. Analyses show a big mismatch in the labour market(s) between the demands and offered sets of skills and knowledge. Almost half of the students in the region enrol into the Humanities, Social Sciences and Business study programmes (49%) and only 24% of them choose Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) subjects, ...

30 October 2019 | News

Bregu: While waiting for EU plans for the region, we should focus on connectivity through regional cooperation and serious domestic reforms

Tirana – “Instead of having a focused discussion on Connectivity agenda and how much out of the 1 billion euro of the European Union’s (EU) grants from 2015 to 2020 was spent or how important connecting people and markets in the region is, etc. this October, this meeting included, the region is re-focused to its EU prospects and answering the “What comes next?” question”, ...

18 October 2019 | News

Bregu: Air pollution biggest environmental threat to health in WB – EU should consider this as ‘Fundamentals First’- air pollution knows no borders

Belgrade – „Six cities in the Western Balkans (WB) are among the top 20 cities with the highest air pollution in the world, and air pollution is the single biggest environmental threat to human health. Cancer and tumor, the most serious health concerns in the region, are linked with the air pollution. This speaks volumes on prioritising citizens’ health when considering ...

17 October 2019 | News

Bregu: Western Balkans citizens need incentive from the EU

Sarajevo – “While awaiting the European Union’s Summit’s official decision on the opening accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia today, for us in the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) and for the entire region as well, it is quite important to reiterate that Western Balkans is an integral part of the EU. The EU integration process needs always to ...

07 October 2019 | News

Bregu: Whenever there is a political will, things in the region move forward

Salzburg – “Keeping the regional cooperation alive is a task that is easier said than done. For example, we had a very good, successful, story in the digital component of the Regional Economic Area in the Western Balkans – Regional Roaming Agreement, which confirmed that whenever there is a political will, things in the region move forward. Unlike that, agreement on mobility of professionals ...

04 October 2019 | News

Bregu: There Is No Other Way to Build the Common European Future of the Region than the consolidation of Rule of Law - It’s All about Justice

Tirana – “Albania and Northern Macedonia are eagerly awaiting mid-October's decision on opening of the EU negotiations, which reflects on the entire region, as a necessity to maintain the reforms under way and take the next step in the European integration process. So, it is not a coincidence that this meeting is taking place in Tirana today, for the same reason the next justice ministerial ...

25 September 2019 | News

Bregu at SEECP meeting in New York: A free travel agreement - the new challenge for the region

New York/Sarajevo - “Two months ago in Poznan, we launched a challenge for the region: a free travel agreement - based on the spirit and the word of already existing set of bilateral agreements which allow free travel with ID cards. This regional agreement should be facilitated by RCC as an important sign of the regional ownership and by the same spirit of Multi-annual Action Plan on a ...

24 September 2019 | News

Bregu: It’s the right moment for Western Balkans to show its strengths and ownership on region’s EU future

New York/Sarajevo – “It’s beyond Poznan time, which makes it the right moment for the Western Balkans to show its strengths and ownership on the EU future of the region. We should address shortcomings of the Regional Economic Area and adjust it to fit our realities – include social dimension in its goals, ensure free movement of citizens across the region and act fast to reverse the ...

15 September 2019 | News

RCC: Listen to women – they are the key to unlocking the economic potential of this region

Sarajevo – Statistics show that more than 700.000 new jobs were created in the past 7 years in the Western Balkans, but only 4.3% of these were taken up by youth under 24 years of age. For a young person it takes about 2 years to get a job.

03 September 2019 | News

European Union will always be an unfinished business without the Western Balkans

Bled – „European Union will always be an unfinished business without the Western Balkans. The price for stagnation and postponing further the decision on the opening of accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia is, in short, a risk. The non opening would bread instability, immigration, unconstructive influence of other geopolitical actors. Any positive moment can precipitate ...

20 August 2019 | News

RCC championing young filmmakers at the Sarajevo Film Festival

Sarajevo – For the 3rd time in a row the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) is the patron of the 'Heart of Sarajevo' award for the Best Student Film at the 25th Sarajevo Film Festival (SFF). We continue to support creative young filmmakers in pursuit of their own path and professional development, because YOUNG PEOPLE MATTER!  

09 July 2019 | News

SEECP leaders praise RCC, entrust it to pursue connectivity agenda of the region and prepare region’s strategy beyond 2020

Sarajevo – “By thanking Bosnia and Herzegovina for excellent cooperation in the past year of their Chairmanship-in-Office (C-i-O) of the South East European Cooperation Process (SEECP), their contribution in leading and advancing regional cooperation through the SEECP framework, I would like to congratulate the incoming C-i-O by Kosovo, looking forward to continue working together ...

08 July 2019 | News

Bregu: RCC keen to embark on any challenges with full support of regional and EU partners - we don’t need to loose time in order to find it again

Sarajevo – „A year behind us was a dynamic one and we are prepared to continue just as dynamic in the next one. We, at the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) are ready and keen to embark on any challenges ahead of us but we cannot do it without the full support of our regional and European partners, as we don’t need to loose time in order to find it again”, said Majlinda Bregu, Secretary ...

05 July 2019 | News

Bregu: Western Balkan should embark on serious, wide-ranging facilitation agenda, including movement of people, goods, services and capital

  Poznan – “Two years after the Western Balkans’ (WB) Prime Ministers endorsed the Multi-annual Action Plan for the Regional Economic Area (MAP REA) in Trieste the region has not fully embraced the opportunities offered by the Regional Economic Area. Flows of goods, services, capital and people continue to be obstructed.  We all could draw an important lesson from the Regional ...

04 July 2019 | News

Bregu: Western Balkans needs to fully embrace and capitalize on the Regional Economic Area

Poznan – “Two years since the endorsement of Multi-annual Action plan on Regional Economic Area (MAP REA) in Trieste and one year since London our region can show only a mixed track record at best. Western Balkans (WB) did not fully embrace Regional Economic Area (REA) and as a result vast potentials of regional economic integration remain untapped. There are many bilateral disputes ...

18 June 2019 | News

Bregu: Western Balkans can punch way above its weight if given a chance

London – “Share of the European Union (EU) in both Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) and exports in the region is well over 70%. For all the talk about the growing Russian and Chinese economic clout in the Western Balkans six (WB6), only 3% of exports in 2018 went to Russia, and less than 0.6% to China”, said Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Majlinda Bregu, ...

13 June 2019 | News

Bregu: Progress achieved by Western Balkans’ EU aspirants now calls for the European Union’s concrete and fast action

Berlin – “It is not just about enlargement any longer but rather about unification of Europe because the European Union (EU) without Western Balkans (WB) is incomplete. This region is Unions geostrategic interest zone. On the other hand, coming from the region, I would like to see the Western Balkans taking strong ownership of the regional cooperation, so it would work and move together ...

08 June 2019 | News

Bregu: Integration into Regional Economic Area is a win-win for everyone

Bratislava – The Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council, Majlinda Bregu, met with Minister of foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic, Miroslav Lajcak, in Bratislava today. The two officials discussed the upcoming Western Balkans’ Berlin Process Summit in Poznan in July, in particular the deliverables when it comes to the implementation of the Multiannual Action Plan for ...

07 June 2019 | News

Bregu: EU will never be complete without Western Balkans - let’s move from “geopoetics” to geopolitics

Bratislava – “The EU without the Western Balkans will never be complete. But it cannot assume that business as usual will provide stability in the Western Balkans. It should take a much more political and strategic approach in the region. Let’s move from “geopoetics” to geopolitics. The EU must be ready to realistically make the Western Balkans its geopolitical priority and ...

27 May 2019 | News

Bregu: Investing in human capital paves the way towards economic development of the region

Istanbul – “Much needed sustainable transformation of the region into a knowledge-based economy with equal opportunities for all citizens is a comprehensive agenda. It combines innovation, research and development, education, employment and social inclusion policies. We cannot continue focusing on economic growth strategy without addressing the Human Capital Development”, said Majlinda Bregu, ...

16 May 2019 | News

RCC Board meets: RCC stands ready to firmly push the integrative agenda and the European narrative forward

Sarajevo – “It is stock-taking time, to see what the RCC has been doing, both the accomplishments and the effects of the regional cooperation process on the people in the region, with many of the most pressing issues in the Western Balkans embedded in our work”, said Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Majlinda Bregu opening the 37th Board meeting ...

09 May 2019 | News

Bregu: Divided we fall, united we stand

Sarajevo – “Western Balkan economies are united by need and a sense of emergency and awareness that there is a clear reason why regions come together in the world. Divided we cannot stand, because we are small economies, each one with its own problems. But all together we could be an interesting market. This is why we should be more focused on regional cooperation, as it is a very model ...

24 April 2019 | News

Bregu: Exercising real elements of mutual interests and good relations day by day of utmost importance for presenting the other face of this region

Sarajevo – Majlinda Bregu, Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) took part in the coordination meeting of the Berlin Process focusing on the preparations for the July 2019 Western Balkans summit in Poznan, in Sarajevo today. 

19 April 2019 | News

Bregu: Majority of online harassment of WOMEN happens on social media and we need to STOP it #DigitalRespect4Her

Sarajevo - The European Commission recently launched the #DigitalRespect4Her Campaign to raise awareness about online violence against women and promote good practices to tackle this issue.

18 April 2019 | News

RCC Bregu: Connecting within the region and with the EU of utmost importance for the Western Balkans

Zagreb – Majlinda Bregu, Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) paid an official visit to Zagreb today within the series of political consultations in the South East Europe (SEE). During the visit she met with Marija Burić Pejčinović, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, and Domagoj Ivan Milošević, Chairperson of the European Affairs ...

16 April 2019 | News

Bregu: Western Balkans citizens believe civil society is key correctional factor, to hold governments accountable for their actions

Tirana – „The level of civic trust in governments and politics in general in the Western Balkans (WB) is alarming, as 60% of citizens do not trust neither the governments, parliaments nor the judicial systems, according to findings of new edition of the Balkan Barometer, based on the data from 2018”, said  Majlinda Bregu, Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), ...

09 April 2019 | News

Bregu: If we want to move forward a new approach to education, promoting skills and supporting creativity is a must

Ulcinj – “If we want to move forward a new approach to education, promoting skills and supporting creativity is a must, said Majlinda Bregu, Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) addressing the participants of the 1st Forum “Science and Innovation 2030 for the Western Balkans”, organised by the Ministry of Science of Montenegro and Podgorica Club in Ulcinj today. 

04 April 2019 | News

Region seals the deal – 2021 roaming free Western Balkans

Belgrade – “A deal is a destination! Today’s signature of the Roaming Free Agreement is a step that makes a difference in the region. Amid all scepticism let us say loudly: Europe delivers”, said Majlinda Bregu, Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) upon signing of the new Regional Roaming Agreement (RRA) at the second WB Digital Summit in Belgrade ...

22 March 2019 | News

Bregu: Western Balkans should be EU’s geopolitical priority, but WB must outdo itself to become quality EU integration partner

Sarajevo – The Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Majlinda Bregu took part in the informal meeting of the Working Party on the Western Balkans Region (COWEB) in Sarajevo today, convened by the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU), in cooperation with the South East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) Chairmanship-in-Office (CiO) held by ...

15 March 2019 | News

Bregu: Challenges in front of us in enhancing regional cooperation in time of uncertainty, will be even bigger

Sarajevo – Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council, Majlinda Bregu, for the first time since the inception of the duty, chaired the meeting of the organisation’s Board at the RCC Secretariat offices in Sarajevo, yesterday. 

14 March 2019 | News

Bregu: Politics should act to the citizens’ concerns and deliver fast

Sarajevo – Majlinda Bregu, Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) paid an official visit to Milorad Dodik, Chairman of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Presidency, in Sarajevo today.

13 March 2019 | News

Bregu: Spreading the spirit of solidarity and tolerance beyond borders teaches young generations what really matters

Sarajevo – Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Majlinda Bregu presented the award of the Champion of Regional Cooperation for 2018 to the Founder and Chair of You are a Sunflower Foundation, Albana Osmani at the reception marking the 11th anniversary of the RCC in Sarajevo tonight. 

12 March 2019 | News

Bregu, Zvizdic discuss Western Balkans’ progress towards regional economic area

08 March 2019 | News

Listen to women – they are the key to unlocking the economic potential of this region

Sarajevo - Instead of happy 8th of March, the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) is introducing the idea of the “WE”, starting with Nada Markovic, a pioneer of the first female cooperative in Bosnia and Hercegovina. 

07 March 2019 | News

RCC Bregu: Cooperation in attracting investments, upskilling youth and women and connecting people priorities for the Western Balkans

Trieste – Majlinda Bregu, Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) visited the seat of the Western Balkans Six Chamber Investment Forum (WB6 CIF) in Trieste today, where she met with Safet Gerxhaliu, Secretary General, Marko Čadež, President of the Governing Board of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and representatives of Chambers of Investment from Western Balkan economies.

22 February 2019 | News

RCC Bregu: We will keep pushing the region for concrete deliverables by Poznan summit

Podgorica – On the second day of her visit to Montenegro, Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Majlinda Bregu met with the Speaker of the Parliament, Ivan Brajović, Prime Minister, Duško Marković,  Minister of Foreign Affairs  Srđan Darmanović,  and Minister of Economy, Dragica Sekulić.

21 February 2019 | News

RCC Bregu: Western Balkans is on the move, to step up reforms and strengthen regional cooperation

Podgorica - Majlinda Bregu, Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) started her consultations in Podgorica today by meeting Milo Đukanović, President of Montenegro.  

05 February 2019 | News

Bregu: Practical and effective discussion on the need for credible regional cooperation

Belgrade - Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Majlinda Bregu met with the Prime Minister of Serbia, Ana Brnabić, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ivica Dačić, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications, Rasim Ljajić, and Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Veroljub Arsić.

04 February 2019 | News

Bregu: Mutual interests to lead the way on the Western Balkans’ European path

Belgrade – At the beginning of the two-day official visit to Belgrade, the Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Majlinda Bregu met with the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, today. 

03 February 2019 | News

Bregu: 2019 is “a year of delivery” - citizens of the Western Balkans expect more

Tirana – The Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Majlinda Bregu, was in an official visit to Tirana where she met with the President of Albania, Illir Meta, Minister of Finance and Economy, Anila Denaj, Minister of Education, Sport and Youth, Besa Shahini, Minister of Infrastructure and Energy, Belinda Balluku, and Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Gent Cakaj. 

31 January 2019 | News

Domestic reforms and regional cooperation - the two preconditions for economic development of the region

Brussels – Sustainable economic growth and development of the Western Balkans (WB) was in the focus of gathering of representatives of EU institutions, diplomatic missions, think tanks, non-governmental and business organizations, organized by the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) in cooperation with the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung’s (FES) EU Office, at the RCC Liaison Office in Brussels ...

29 January 2019 | News

RCC SG Bregu: European integration of Western Balkans is not a territorial, but transformational agenda

Vienna – “European integration of Western Balkans is not a territorial agenda. It is a transformational agenda, which in the broader orientation towards fundamental European values has worked. The EU has been the single most important leverage in the region to promote democracy, rule of law, respect for human rights and minorities. EU’s enlargement policy has for fact delivered in shaping ...

24 January 2019 | News

RCC: ‘Roam Like at Home’ speak more, pay less

Brussels – The second round of negotiations on the new Regional Roaming Agreement (RRA2) for the Western Balkans (WB), organized by the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), is being held in Brussels today. 

22 January 2019 | News

RCC’s Majlinda Bregu: Skopje gives a tailwind for the entire region

Skopje – The Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Majlinda Bregu, was in an official visit to Skopje in the past two days where she met with the President of the Assembly, Talat Dzaferi; Prime Minister, Zoran Zaev; Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for European Affairs, Bujar Osmani; Deputy Prime Minister responsible for economic affairs and coordination with the ...

21 January 2019 | News

RCC Secretary General: Each negotiation is a story of impact and dialogue for individuals, communities and economies

 The 2nd round of negotiations on mutual recognition of professional qualifications in the Western Balkans (WB) for Doctors of Medicine, Dentists, Architects and Civil Engineers started in Skopje today. 

18 January 2019 | News

Secretary General Bregu: Inter-connected, we will push each other forward

Pristina – Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Majlinda Bregu, visited Pristina today and met with the Speaker of the Parliament Kadri Veseli, Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Behgjet Pacolli, and Minister of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Besim Beqaj. 

09 January 2019 | News

RCC Secretary General Majlinda Bregu pays the first official visit to Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Sarajevo – Majlinda Bregu, the new Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), met with Sefik Dzaferovic, one of the three members of Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in Sarajevo today. This is the first meeting organised of envisaged tour of visits that RCC Secretary General will have with leadership of the South East Europe participants.

04 January 2019 | News

Statement of the Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council Majlinda Bregu

 Beyond differences and geographical boundaries there lies a common interest!  Jean Monnet was firm in his conviction that the “European nations had to unite in order to survive”. The same holds true for Western Balkan’s. To maintain weight in a world that is changing fast, we need to leverage our relations. Cooperation is the crux of the matter. 

04 January 2019 | News

Majlinda Bregu takes office as the Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council

Sarajevo – Mrs. Majlinda Bregu assumed her duties of the new Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) today, following the appointment by the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) Foreign Ministers in Brdo pri Kranju, Slovenia on 23 April 2018.

04 December 2018 | News

Enlargement process, integration, transformation challenges - main topics of 19th edition of EU-Western Balkans Summit in Brussels

Brussels – For the third year in a row the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) partnered with the Brussels-based think-tank Friends of Europe (FoE), with the support of the European Commission, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United States European Command, in organizing the annual EU-Western Balkans Summit. This year’s 19th edition of the ...

15 November 2018 | News

Svilanovic: Region’s economies need to improve legislation on capital markets, focusing on protection of investors

Belgrade – The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) hosted the panel: The Future of Regional Capital Markets as a partner of the 17th Conference of the Belgrade Stock Exchange ‘Upgrade in Belgrade 2018’ being held in Belgrade today.  

18 October 2018 | News

RCC Board meets for the 35th time

Sarajevo – The Board of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) met for the 35th time at the organisations’ Secretariat in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina today. 

09 October 2018 | News

RCC hosts the third meeting of MAP REA Coordinators from Western Balkan Six

Brussels – The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) hosted the 3rd meeting of Coordinators of Multi-Annual Action Plan (MAP) on Regional Economic Area (REA) in Western Balkan Six (WB6), discussing the implementation results, next milestones, the most pressing challenges and reiterating commitments, in Brussels today. 

11 July 2018 | News

RCC Secretary General takes part at the Western Balkans London Summit

  The Secretary General of the regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Goran Svilanovic, took part at the Western Balkans (WB) Summit on 10 July in London.

02 July 2018 | News

Genoveva Ruiz Calavera: The RCC instrumental in facilitating co-operation bringing the Western Balkans closer to one another and to the EU

Sarajevo – Genoveva Ruiz Calavera, Director for the Western Balkans at the European Commission’s (EC) Directorate-General for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR) visited the offices of the Regional Cooperation Council’s (RCC) Secretariat in Sarajevo today, as a part of her Western Balkans tour.  

12 June 2018 | News

Statement by the RCC Secretary General Goran Svilanovic on the agreement announced by Prime Ministers Tsipras and Zaev

12 June 2018 | News

RCC Secretary General and BiH Foreign Minister meet to discuss BiH's SEECP C-i-O

Banja Luka – The Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Goran Svilanovic, met the Foreign Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Igor Crnadak, in Banja Luka today.

17 May 2018 | News

RCC at the Sofia Western Balkans Summit: Regional Cooperation Council proliferated regional cooperation across all sectors

Sofia – The Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council, Goran Svilanovic, took part at the EU-Western Balkans Summit hosted by the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU, in Sofia today. The Summit is dedicated to strengthen links between the EU and the Western Balkans in infrastructure, digital and human connectivity. It brought together EU and WB leaders, as well as ...

25 April 2018 | News

Brussels: Bulgarian EU Presidency, RCC host conference on the Western Balkans’ European perspective

Brussels - Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union together with the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) hosted a conference on the Western Balkans’ European perspective through growth, good governance and enhanced cooperation, in Brussels today.

24 April 2018 | News

SEECP Summit Participants praise work of RCC, thank outgoing and approve new Secretary General

Brdo pri Kranju – The leaders of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) participants commended and congratulated the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), for serving as a sui generis organisation promoting regional cooperation in South East Europe, approving at the same time the appointment by the SEECP Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Majlinda Bregu as Secretary General ...

23 April 2018 | News

South East European Foreign Ministers Appoint next RCC Secretary General

Brdo pri Kranju - Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) appointed Majlinda Bregu as Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), starting on 1 January 2019 and of Igor Luksic as RCC Secretary General starting on January 2022, at their meeting held in Brdo pri Kranju, Slovenia, today. In this post, Bregu will succeed Goran ...

23 April 2018 | News

RCC Annual Meeting endorses nomination of Majlinda Bregu as the next RCC Secretary General for the term 2019-2021

Brdo pri Kranju – The 10th Annual Meeting of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), held in Brdo pri Kranju today, endorsed the RCC Annual Report 2017/2018 and the nominations of Majlinda Bregu as the next RCC Secretary General for the term 2019-2021 and Igor Luksic for the term 2022-2024.

18 April 2018 | News

The first Western Balkans Digital Summit opens in Skopje

Skopje – The first ever Western Balkans Digital Summit, bringing together Prime Ministers and Ministers responsible for digital agenda from the Western Balkans (WB), EU Berlin Process participants, European Commission (EC), Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), representatives of IT industries and businesses, academia, and youth, opened in Skopje today. 

17 April 2018 | News

RCC, RAI sign memorandum of understanding, broadening cooperation between the two organisations

Belgrade – Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Goran Svilanovic and Chairperson of the Regional Anticorruption Initiative (RAI) Davor Dubravica signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on mutual cooperation between the RCC and RAI, on the margins of the RCC-organised Conference 'Countering online radicalization in the context of cyber security', in Belgrade on ...

16 March 2018 | News

Svilanovic at the meeting of WB Foreign Ministers in Sarajevo: It is “action time” for the Western Balkans

Sarajevo – The Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Goran Svilanovic, takes part in the meeting of Western Balkans (WB) Six Foreign Ministers in Sarajevo today. The meeting is dedicated to the recently published EU’s  strategy on the enlargement perspective of the region, implementation of the Berlin Process’ 2017 Trieste Summit outcomes, and preparation ...

15 March 2018 | News

Regional Cooperation Council supports panel discussion of Silent Balkan Majority 'Tourism, culture and sport connect the region'

Svilanovic: Tolerant, forward looking people are the future of this region Jahorina/Sarajevo – Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Goran Svilanovic took part in the latest panel discussion of informal citizens' group from the Western Balkans „Silent Balkan Majority titled „Tourism, culture and sports connect the region“, as a part of the RCC’s support ...

15 March 2018 | News

RCC Board meets for the 34th time

 Sarajevo – The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Secretary General Goran Svilanovic presented the Report on the organisation's activities in the last quarter of the past year at the first meeting of the Board of in 2018, held in Sarajevo today.

15 March 2018 | News

RCC celebrates its 10th Birthday, awards EXIT as Champion of Regional Cooperation for 2017

Sarajevo – The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) marked its 10th birthday by presenting a brief overview of the past 10 years of the organisation’s activities to its partners, stakeholders and friends and awarding the EXIT Festival as Champion of Regional Cooperation  for 2017, at a reception in Sarajevo last night.

27 February 2018 | News

10 years of Regional Cooperation Council

With the region, for the region Sarajevo - Today the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) marks its 10 birthday. Our journey began on 27 February 2008 in Sofia at the meeting of Foreign Ministers of South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP), when the RCC was officially launched, as the SEECP operational arm, under which auspices it continues to operate. 

30 January 2018 | News

Second Meeting of MAP Coordinators and B2G Meeting on MAP takes place in Trieste

Trieste – The second meeting of the Coordinators for the RCC’s Multi Action Plan (MAP) for a Regional Economic Area (REA) in the Western Balkans six (WB6) took place in Trieste today. The meeting provided an overview on the key developments in MAP implementation in each of the WB6 economies and defined clear deliverables/targets for the Sofia and London Summits this spring/summer.

18 December 2017 | News

RCC Secretary General takes part the Berlin Process’s meeting of Western Balkans Sherpas

Brussels – The Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Goran Svilanovic, took part at the meeting of the Berlin process’ Sherpas, organized by the European Commission, in Brussels today. The meeting focused on each of the Western Balkans (WB) economies’ reform measures in implementing the Multiannual Actin Plan (MAP) to create a Regional Economic Area in WB ...

05 December 2017 | News

Challenges and Responses of the Western Balkans discussed at the Policy Summit in Brussels

Brussels – The 18th edition of policy summit on the Western Balkans under the title: Western Balkans at a Crossroads: New Challenges, Changing Dynamics, organised by the leading Brussels-based think-tank Friends of Europe (FoE), with the support of the European Commission, Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Rockefeller ...

08 November 2017 | News

South East European Military Intelligence Chiefs adopt OSINT assessment on Use of Social Media by Violent Extremists

Budva –  Open-source intelligence (OSINT) assessment dedicated to ‘Use of Social Media by violent extremists' has been adopted by the South East European Military Intelligence Chiefs (SEEMIC) at their 9th Conference held on 7 November 2017 in Budva, Montenegro. The event was co-organised by the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) and the Department for Military Intelligence ...

30 October 2017 | News

London: Western Balkans Summit 2018 and Berlin Process in focus of Svilanovic’s meeting with UK Foreign Office and Commonwealth Officials

London – Goran Svilanovic, Regional Cooperation Council’s (RCC) Secretary General met with UK’s Foreign Office and Commonwealth officials Fiona McIlwham, Peter Bainbridge, Director and Deputy Director of Western Balkans Department (EuD - WBD),  Andrew Page, Western Balkans Summit 2018 Coordinator and Andrew Staunton, Member of the core team for organisation of the Summit to discuss ...

26 October 2017 | News

RCC Secretary General discusses Western Balkans EU perspective with Bulgarian Foreign Minister in Sofia today

Sofia – Goran Svilanovic, Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), met with Ekaterina Zaharieva, Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister for Judicial Reform and Minister of Foreign Affairs, in Sofia today. Svilanovic and Zaharieva talked about the priorities of Bulgaria’s upcoming six-month Presidency of the Council of the European Union, starting on 1 January 2018.

18 October 2017 | News

Svilanovic at RCC Board meeting: Our efforts were focused on areas where ambitions in the region have grown

Sarajevo – The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Secretary General Goran Svilanovic presented the report on activities of the RCC Secretariat in the period 1 April – 31 August 2017 to the RCC Board at the meeting in Sarajevo today. The Board also heard the information and plans on the most important upcoming activities of the organisation, in particular those related to the implementation ...

06 October 2017 | News

RCC to present its Balkan Barometer 2017 – a perception survey of citizens and business communities on the situation in the region

Brussels – The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) is to present its 3rd edition of the public and business opinion survey – Balkan Barometer 2017 in Brussels, Belgium, on 9 October 2017.

20 September 2017 | News

New York: RCC Secretary General hosts meeting of Western Balkans foreign ministers and EU’s Han, discussing Regional Economic Area

New York – The Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council’s (RCC) Goran Svilanovic hosted an informal meeting of the Western Balkans foreign ministers, with the participation of the EU Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Johannes Hahn, organized on the margins of the 72nd Session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, in New York today.

12 July 2017 | News

Trieste: Six Western Balkans leaders endorse Regional Economic Area

Trieste - The leaders of Western Balkans Six (WB6) endorsed the Multi-annual Action Plan on a Regional Economic Area in the Western Balkans (MAP), at the summit in Trieste today. The MAP has been created to enable unobstructed flow of goods, services, capital and highly skilled labour, making the region more attractive for investment and commerce, accelerating convergence with ...

10 July 2017 | News

Sarajevo: RCC at the Sixth Western Balkans Civil Society Forum

 Sarajevo – The Sixth Western Balkans Civil Society Forum, organised by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) in cooperation with the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), opened in Sarajevo today.

05 July 2017 | News

RCC: Svilanovic meets Bildt, Heisbourg, and Cooper in Sarajevo to discuss regional cooperation in context of European integration

Sarajevo - Carl Bildt, former Swedish Prime Minister and Co-Chair of the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), François Heisbourg, Chair of the International Institute for Strategic Studies Council and Chairman of the foundation council of the Geneva Centre for Security Policy, and Robert Cooper, Special Advisor at the European Commission, visited the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) ...

16 May 2017 | News

RCC Board accepts organisation’s Annual Report 2016 – 2017

The Annual Report of the Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) 2016 – 2017 has been accepted by the organisation’s Board, at its 32nd meeting in Sarajevo today.

08 May 2017 | News

Goran Svilanovic presented with Dr Elemer Hantos Prize for promotion of economic cooperation in the region

Belgrade – Charles Epping, President of The Central Europe Foundation (CEF), presented Goran Svilanovic, Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Dr Elemer Hatnos Prize as recognition of his efforts to promote regional economic cooperation in South East Europe at the award ceremony in Belgrade tonight.

10 April 2017 | News

Germany continues its support to Regional Cooperation Council

Sarajevo - The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Secretariat and the German Federal Foreign office (Auswärtige Amt) signed an agreement on financial grant to support RCC’s public awareness activities. The grant agreement of 100, 000 euro is to support RCC communication and public awareness activities in the course of 2017-’18. The agreement was signed by the RCC Secretary General, ...

20 March 2017 | News

RCC presents its activities and core of regional cooperation in South East Europe to young diplomats

Sandanski/Sarajevo - Goran Svilanovic, Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) and Stefana Greavu, Head of RCC’s Political Department spoke today to young diplomats from all over South East Europe, at the 12th Winter School on Diplomacy, in Sandanski, Bulgaria. This year’s edition of the Winter School of Diplomacy was devoted to EU and NATO in South Eastern Europe ...

17 March 2017 | News

Western Balkans economies to work with Regional Cooperation Council and EU to further economic cooperation

Sarajevo - At the meeting of six Western Balkans Prime Ministers with the European Commission and the European External Action Service in Sarajevo yesterday, the Prime Ministers reaffirmed their commitments on the EU accession path, took stock of the progress made thus far and set out preparations for the next summit hosted by Italy in Trieste on 12 July 2017.

16 March 2017 | News

Champion of Regional Cooperation Award presented to Sarajevo Film Festival

Sarajevo – Sarajevo Film Festival (SFF) was officially presented with Champion of Regional Cooperation award in Sarajevo last night. Goran Svilanovic, Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) presented the Award to Mirsad Purivatra, Director of SFF thanking him for vision and commitment to promote art and culture within the South East Europe (SEE) and the SEE brand ...

15 March 2017 | News

RCC Board meets in Sarajevo for 31st time

Sarajevo – The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Board met for the first time in 2017 in Sarajevo today. The RCC Secretary General, Goran Svilanovic presented the report on activities of the organization’s Secretariat in the period September-December 2016 and informed the Board on its key forthcoming  activities.

03 March 2017 | News

RCC presents its report on activities in countering radicalization and violent extremism to SEECP Foreign Ministers

Zagreb/Sarajevo – The Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Goran Svilanovic, presented the RCC’s report on activities in countering radicalization and violent extremism (CVE/FTF), at the informal meeting of the ministers of foreign affairs of the South - East European Cooperation Process (SEECP), in Zagreb today.

17 February 2017 | News

Svilanovic: We should turn to regional economic integration of the Western Balkans

MUNICH/SARAJEVO – Perspectives of the South East European economies’ reform processes in light of the current dilemma whether or not they should be continued against the European Union accession background, was the topic elaborately discussed at the BMW Foundation Global Dialogue session held in Munich today.

09 February 2017 | News

RCC at the meeting of ministers of foreign affairs of the Western Balkans six in Skopje

SKOPJE/SARAJEVO – “It is of paramount importance to ensure further progress and reforms in the region, as they are irreversible processes triggered by the EU accession aspirations. Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) is looking forward to continuation of close cooperation with you in making this region prosperous and stable,” said RCC Secretary General Goran Svilanovic, addressing ...

07 February 2017 | News

RCC Secretary General discusses organisation’s activities with EU officials in Brussels

BRUSSELS/SARAJEVO – The Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Goran Svilanovic, was in a two-day visit to Brussels where he met with Thomas Mayr-Harting, Managing Director for Europe and Central Asia in the European External Action Service, and Christian Danielsson, Director General for Enlargement at the European Commission. Svilanovic also briefed the Committee ...

16 December 2016 | News

Justice and Home Affairs discussed at EU-Western Balkans Ministerial Forum

Brdo pri Kranju/Sarajevo - Efficiency and cooperation of judiciaries, operational cooperation in matters such as migration, border management and internal security, including counter-terrorism and firearms trafficking were the main topics discussed at the EU-Western Balkans Ministerial Forum on Justice and Home Affairs held under Slovak Presidency of the Council of the European Union ...

13 December 2016 | News

Erhard Busek visits RCC Secretariat in Sarajevo

Sarajevo – Erhard Busek, former Special Co-ordinator of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe, predecessor of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) visited RCC’s Secretariat in Sarajevo today.

08 December 2016 | News

RCC Secretary General meets Croatian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs

Hamburg/Sarajevo  - The Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Goran Svilanovic met with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Republic of Croatia, Davor Ivo Stier on the margins of OSCE Ministerial Council Meeting in Hamburg, Germany today.

07 December 2016 | News

RCC’s Svilanovic at Brussels’ Balkans Summit: ‘Business as usual will not work’

Sarajevo/Brussels – “When it comes to the enlargement, ‘business as usual’ is the only policy which will not work“, said Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Goran Svilanovic, speaking at the panel ‘EU membership: the long road from vision to reality’ of the Balkans Summit in Brussels today.

01 December 2016 | News

RCC's Goran Svilanovic awarded the 2016 Elemer Hantos Prize for promoting economic cooperation

Sarajevo – The Central Europe Foundation (CEF) awarded Goran Svilanovic Dr Elemer Hantos Prize as a recognition of his efforts to promote cooperation in the region in his current capacity as Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), fully respecting Svilanovic’s previous activities as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia and Montenegro (2000 to 2004), Chairman ...

12 October 2016 | News

Organisation’s results and upcoming activities in the focus of 30th RCC Board meeting

Sarajevo, 12 October 2016 – The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Secretary General Goran Svilanovic presented to the RCC Board today the implementation and results of the RCC’s Strategy and Work Programme (SWP) 2014-2016, as well as how these feed into RCC’s next three-year strategy 2017-2019.

27 September 2016 | News

RCC Secretary General meets U.S. State Department officials

Sarajevo/Washington – Interventions of Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) in regional cooperation in South East Europe (SEE), with special emphasis on areas of governance, rule of law and security were discussed at the series of regular annual meetings of the organisation's Secretary General, Goran Svilanovic, with officials of the U.S. State Department in Washington D.C in the past ...

22 September 2016 | News

Connection, Communication, Cooperation in South East Europe

Sarajevo/New York - Regional Cooperation Council’s (RCC) Secretary General Goran Svilanovic attended the informal meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the South East European Cooperation Process (SEECP), organized on the margins of the 71st Session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in New York.

13 September 2016 | News

Svilanovic at Milocer Development Forum: We at the RCC foster multi-dimensional approach to sustainable development

Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Goran Svilanovic participated today at the regional Milocer Development Forum in Cetinje (Montenegro) where he presented some of the specific RCC contributions towards strengthening sustainable development in the region. 

02 June 2016 | News

Svilanovic: Making sure that local administrations are well prepared for demanding EU accession process and membership, is our common objective

The Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Goran Svilanovic, took part at the Enlargement Day, organised by the European Committee of the Regions in cooperation with DG Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations of the European Commission, in Brussels today.

31 May 2016 | News

RCC embarks on new three-year working cycle as the Strategy and Work Programme for 2017-2019 gets endorsed at the organisation’s Annual Meeting

Pravets – The new three-year Strategy and Work Programme (SWP) of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) was endorsed at the organisation’s ninth Annual meeting in Pravets (Bulgaria) today. The meeting, co-organized with the Bulgarian Chairmanship-in-Office 2015-2016 of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) also endorsed the Annual Report of the RCC Secretary General featuring ...

31 May 2016 | News

SEECP foreign ministers endorse the new RCC’s three-year Strategy and Work Programme

Pravets, 31 May 2016 - Meeting in Pravets (Bulgaria) today, the foreign ministers of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) endorsed the Annual Report of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) 2015-2016 presented by the RCC Secretary General Goran Svilanovic, as well as the new three-year Strategy and Work Programme (SWP) of the RCC. 

23 May 2016 | News

RCC to present the new three-year strategy and work programme at its Annual meeting in Pravets, Bulgaria

Sarajevo - The new three-year Strategy and Work Programme (SWP) of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) will be presented at the ninth Annual meeting of the organisation on 31 May 2016 in Pravets, Bulgaria. The meeting, co-organized with the Bulgarian Chairmanship-in-Office 2015-2016 of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP), is expected to endorse the RCC SWP together with ...

13 May 2016 | News

RCC Secretary General at the Forum of EU Strategy for Adriatic and Ionian Region

The Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Goran Svilanovic, spoke today at the 1st Forum of the EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR), in Dubrovnik, Croatia. Svilanovic presented the implementation structure, and programing and monitoring processes, of the RCC’s South East Europe (SEE) 2020 development Strategy, but also spoke about the synergies ...

11 May 2016 | News

RCC Board accepts the new three-year Strategy and Work Programme of the organization

The new three-year Strategy and Work Programme (SWP) of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) has been accepted today by the organisation’s Board, at its meeting in Sarajevo. The RCC SWP refers to the period 2017 – 2019, and outlines the organisation’s vision and activities in the future period. The Board also accepted the Annual Report of the Secretary General of the Regional ...

27 April 2016 | News

“EU incomplete without the Western Balkans”

Vienna/Sarajevo  – An impressive public panel hosted last night by Austrian Minister for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs, Sebastian Kurz,  rounded off a two day conference in Vienna called “Energizing the Enlargement Process by Solving Bilateral Disputes”. Set up by the European Fund for the Balkans (EFB) and supported by the Austrian and French Ministries for ...

06 April 2016 | News

Continued German support for RCC activities

The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Secretariat and the German Federal Foreign office (Auswärtige Amt) signed an agreement today on a 50,000 euro grant to support RCC’s public awareness activities in 2016. The agreement was signed by the RCC Secretary General, Goran Svilanovic and the German Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Christian Hellbach.

14 March 2016 | News

RCC Secretary General speaks to young diplomats from South East Europe about region’s opportunities and challenges

The Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Goran Svilanovic, spoke today to young diplomats from all over South East Europe, at the 11th Winter School on Diplomacy, in Sandanski, Bulgaria. The event, co-organized by the RCC, Bulgarian Chairmanship in Office of the South East Europe Cooperation Process (SEEPC), Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute, and the Hanns Seidel ...

09 March 2016 | News

Svilanovic on regional economy - tough but with a glimmer of optimism

Taking part in the 23rd  Kopaonik Business Forum yesterday, Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Secretary General, Goran Svilanovic emphasised that it is impossible to overestimate the importance of regional cooperation and economic consolidation if South East Europe wants to remain competitive on its own, European and global markets.

26 February 2016 | News

Sarajevo: RCC Board meets for the first time in 2016

Sarajevo – The 28th meeting of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Board took place in Sarajevo today. RCC Secretary General, Goran Svilanovic, presented the activities of the RCC Secretariat since October 2015 and the Board accepted them.

16 February 2016 | News

Political stability, growth and jobs – Svilanovic on strengthening the ties in the region

The challenges but also  the opportunities for closer regional cooperation are aplenty in the year which just started, said Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Secretary General, Goran Svilanovic at today’s one day conference on “Balkan Partnership, strengthening the Region’s ties”, organised by the Friends of Europe in Brussels. Svilanovic said that the RCC is deeply engaged ...

02 February 2016 | News

SEECP ministers discuss migration issues

“In this year, we will continue to see rising hopes for more progress on the European and Euro-Atlantic integration path of the South East European region”, said the Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) at this morning’s informal meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the South East Europe Cooperation Process (SEECP) held in Sofia. 

18 December 2015 | News

Regional Cooperation Day in Sarajevo: Strong debate about a tough year

Regional Cooperation Council organised a meeting of civil sector representatives from South East Europe economies and journalists from the region 

16 December 2015 | News

RCC: Sarajevo to host Regional Cooperation Day

Sarajevo - Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) is organising a gathering of representatives of civil society and media from the South East Europe region to mark the Regional Cooperation Day.

23 November 2015 | News

SEECP Political Directors meet in Sofia

Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Secretary General Goran Svilanovic attended today’s meeting of Political Directors of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP), the first organised by the current Chair-in-Office, Bulgaria.

18 November 2015 | News

RCC at the SEE Regional Conference: “Working Together Towards EU Accession”

Sarajevo, 18 November 2015 – Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Secretary General, Goran Svilanovic highlighted regional cooperation as a key element in fostering reconciliation, good neighbourly relations, stability and prosperity in South East Europe (SEE). “It is also an EU membership pre-condition” said Svilanovic in his keynote speech at a two day regional conference on EU accession ...

29 October 2015 | News

Better cooperation between the RCC and the OSCE

Vienna/Sarajevo, 29 October 2015 -  Ways and means for better cooperation between the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) were discussed today at a meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna.

16 October 2015 | News

Job creation and dynamising economic life is crucial for the future of South East Europe (SEE) - Inter-parliamentary Conference in Sarajevo ends today

Sarajevo, 15/16 October 2015 – A two day inter-parliamentary conference coorganised by the European Parliament, the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) and the Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina ended today in Sarajevo. It was attended by Members of the European Parliament and Members of Parliament  of EU Enlargement countries. Economic Governance and Job creation were the focus of ...

15 October 2015 | News

Meeting of the Board of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) in Sarajevo

Sarajevo, 15th October 2015 – The 27th meeting of the RCC Board took place in Sarajevo today. RCC Secretary General, Goran Svilanovic, presented the activities of the RCC Secretariat between April and October 2015 and the Board accepted them. Particular attention was given to RCC’s engagement in those aspects of the Berlin Process which are in line with RCC’s mission and ...

06 October 2015 | News

Countering violent extremism in focus of RCC-State Department talks

Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Secretary General, Goran Svilanovic and US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State responsible for European and Eurasian affairs, Hoyt Yee, met in Washington yesterday and exchanged views on the current political situation in Southeast Europe (SEE) and the state of the Euro-Atlantic integration process of the region.

01 October 2015 | News

RCC and regional issues discussed in New York

New York – Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Secretary General, Goran Svilanovic, attended an informal meeting of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) Foreign Ministers yesterday in New York. The meeting was hosted by Daniel Mitov, Bulgarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and current Chair in Office (CiO) of the SEECP. Such meetings have become a regular feature ...

15 September 2015 | News

Sofia: RCC at the conference on energy security and infrastructure in South East Europe

Energy Security and Energy Infrastructure in South East Europe are the focus of a two-day conference that started in Sofia today, organised by the Bulgarian Chairmanship-in-office of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) and opened by the Bulgarian Prime Minister, Boyko Borissov.

14 September 2015 | News

Svilanovic officially signs Agreement on Assumption of Duties as RCC Secretary General in second term

The Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Goran Svilanović, signed the official Agreement on Assumption of Duties of the RCC Secretary General, for the period 1 January 2016 – 31 December 2018. On behalf of the Chairmanship-in-Office of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP), the agreement was signed by the Bulgarian Minister of Foreign Affairs, ...

11 September 2015 | News

RCC Secretary General receives Swedish Ambassador to BiH

Regional Cooperation Council’s (RCC), Secretary General, Goran Svilanovic, received today the Swedish Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Fredrik Schiller.

09 September 2015 | News

RCC Secretary General visits Foreign Minister Crnadak

The Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Goran Svilanovic, met today in Sarajevo with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Igor Crnadak. 

31 August 2015 | News

Rama, Svilanovic and Vucic, tonight in regional TV Talk Show “Okruzenje”

The margins of last Thursday’s Vienna summit of the WB6 leaders and the leaders of the Berlin Process countries and the EU, were rich with events in the days preceding and following the actual Summit.  

25 August 2015 | News

RCC at the Vienna WB summit

West Balkan and EU leaders will gather in Vienna in the next two days for the continuation of the Berlin Process, widely perceived as an initiative to pursue the EU accession process of the region. The actual Summit and its political discussions will be held on August 27th accompanied by meeting of economic Ministers. 

19 June 2015 | News

RCC Secretary General on the region’s economy

The Bulgarian Chairmanship-in-Office of the South East European Cooperation Process (CiO SEECP) has kicked off its activities with the two-day event in Sofia focusing on the state of regional economy and ways to improve it. Taking part in today’s round table which gathered representatives of the SEE ministries of economy, the Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council ...

10 June 2015 | News

Svilanovic voices strong support for creation of youth exchange programme for the Western Balkans

Speaking at the conference dedicated to strengthening intercultural youth exchange programmes in the Western Balkans in Sarajevo today, the Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Goran Svilanovic, expressed the strong support of the RCC for the initiative to create a youth exchange programme for the Western Balkans.

05 June 2015 | News

RCC Secretary General briefs South East Europe’s Ambassadors accredited in Brussels to EU and NATO and EC Director General Christian Danielson

Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Goran Svilanovic met today with the Ambassadors of SEECP participants accredited to EU and NATO in Brussels as well as with EC Director General Christian Danielsson.  

26 May 2015 | News

SEECP summit approves appointment of Goran Svilanovic as RCC Secretary General

Tirana/Sarajevo, 26 May 2015 – Meeting in Tirana today, the participants of the South East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) summit approved the appointment of Goran Svilanovic for a second three year term as the Regional Cooperation Council’s (RCC) Secretary General. The Declaration adopted at the Summit also endorses the RCC’s Annual Report. 

22 May 2015 | News

RCC Annual Meeting and presentation of the SEE Development Scoreboard

Tirana/Sarajevo - The RCC’s (Regional Cooperation Council) Annual Meeting in Tirana today heard a strong endorsement of the organisation’s efforts in fostering economic recovery and speeding up the European integration process of the region. The meeting’s host, Albanian Foreign Minister and Chair in Office of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP), Ditmir Bushati, said ...

22 May 2015 | News

SEECP Foreign Ministers appoint Goran Svilanovic as RCC Secretary General for a second 3 year term

Meeting in Tirana today, the Foreign ministers of the South- East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) unanimously appointed Goran Svilanovic for a second term as the Regional Cooperation Council’s (RCC) Secretary General. The ministers also adopted the Annual Report of the RCC Secretary General on regional cooperation in South East Europe (SEE).

18 May 2015 | News

RCC to present South East Europe Development Scoreboard

SARAJEVO, 18 May 2015 – The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Secretariat will officially launch and present the South East Europe Development Scoreboard (SEEDS) on the sidelines of its Annual Meeting, on the 22nd of May 2015 in Tirana, Albania. SEEDS is a comprehensive but simple web-based platform which enables any user to monitor the implementation of the region’s development ...

12 May 2015 | News

RCC Board endorses renewal of mandate for RCC Secretary General Goran Svilanovic

The Board of the Regional Cooperation council met in Sarajevo today ahead of the Annual meeting which will take place in Tirana, later this month. 

08 May 2015 | News

RCC Secretary General briefs Austrian parliamentarians on the SEE2020 Strategy

The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Secretary General, Goran Svilanovic, briefed Austrian parliamentarians today on the implementation of the SEE2020 Strategy, RCC’s primary instrument for boosting growth and jobs in the region’s economies.

06 May 2015 | News

Regional Cooperation Day in Brussels

Sarajevo/Brussels – The Regional Cooperation Day continued in Brussels with a High Level Conference on cooperation and enlargement in the Western Balkans which included Albanian Foreign Minister, Ditmir Bushati, the EU Commissioner for European Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations, Johannes Hahn, the Head of the Representation of the State of Baden-Württemberg, Johannes Jung ...

06 May 2015 | News

Regional Cooperation Day ends in Brussels

The Regional Cooperation Day concluded in Brussels with closing remarks by Igor Luksic, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro, MEP Andrej Plenkovic, Vice Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Andreas Brandstaetter from the Austrian Foreign Ministry.

09 April 2015 | News

Germany continues to support RCC’s activities

Sarajevo - Goran Svilanovic, Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council Secretariat (RCC) and H.E. Dr Christian Hellbach, German Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina, signed an agreement with which the Federal Republic of Germany continues its support of the RCC.  

09 February 2015 | News

Svilanovic: Unemployment – Problem number 1 in the region

“It’s a great pleasure to be with you here in Tirana to discuss the South East Europe (SEE) 2020 strategy and the main developments in the past year” said Goran Svilanovic, Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), at the conference dedicated to the monitoring and implementation of RCC’s development strategy for SEE. 

06 February 2015 | News

EU continues to support regional cooperation aimed at wellbeing of citizens

The European Commission will continue to strongly support the activities of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) to enhance regional cooperation and promote European integration in South East Europe (SEE). This was confirmed during constructive meeting between RCC Secretary General Goran Svilanovic and the Commissioner for the European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, ...

11 December 2014 | News

RCC Secretary General meets SEECP Troika

The Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Goran Svilanovic, met today in Sarajevo with the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) Troika (The “Troika” consists of the previous, current and next Chair in office of the SEECP, in this case - Romania, Albania and Bulgaria). The Secretary General informed the Troika on what the RCC has achieved so ...

10 December 2014 | News

A kick-start to stalled accession?

Brussels, 9 December 2014: Balkan revival was the topic in Brussels’s Cercle Gaulois grand hall yesterday with Friends of Europe as the host. Guest speakers included the Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama, MEPs Eduard Kukan and Andrej Plenkovic, the foreign minister of The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Nikola Poposki, Director General for Enlargement in the European Commission ...

10 November 2014 | News

RCC at the Launch of the EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region

Regional Cooperation Council’s (RCC) Secretary General Goran Svilanovic is to speak at the Conference launching the European Union’s (EU) Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR), in Brussels on 18 November 2014.

23 October 2014 | News

Svilanovic: Strong and vibrant regional economies crucial for EU integration

Belgrade, 23 October 23, 2014 – The Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Goran Svilanovic, pointed out today that even though political stability, reconciliation and security are still crucial activities for the RCC, the region as a whole needs to focus on sustainable development and growth.  Speaking at the WB6 Meeting on Economic Governance and Connectivity ...

01 September 2014 | News

Berlin conference confirms importance of regional cooperation

Last week’s conference in Berlin, hosted by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, ushered in a new phase of EU accession for the Western Balkans countries, one in which the goals and targets are more clearly defined and assorted in an ongoing process which will be hosted by Austria and then France in the coming years. The Final Declaration by the Chair of the Conference underlined ...

28 August 2014 | News

RCC Secretary General attends Western Balkans conference in Berlin

BERLIN – At the initiative of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and hosted by Vice Chancellor and Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy, Sigmar Gabriel,  a discussion on economic potentials and prospects of the Western Balkans kicked off the Western Balkans summit in Berlin. 

20 June 2014 | News

RCC at the meeting of the SEECP Ministers of Foreign Affairs

The Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Goran Svilanovic, participated in the formal meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Southeast Europe Cooperation Process (SEECP), in Bucharest today. The Ministers approved the Annual Report of the RCC Secretary General 2013/2014.

19 June 2014 | News

Regional Cooperation Council holds Annual Meeting

BUCHAREST – SARAJEVO – The 6th Annual Meeting of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) took place in Bucharest today. The meeting endorsed the report of the RCC Secretary General on Regional Cooperation in South East Europe (SEE) 2013-2014 and assessed the implementation of the RCC Strategy and Work Programme 2011 – 2013.

06 June 2014 | News

RCC to Present its Annual Report and SEE 2020 Scoreboard on 19 June 2014 in Bucharest

SARAJEVO – The 6th Annual Meeting of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) will be held in Bucharest, Romania, on 19 June 2014. It is expected to endorse the report of the RCC Secretary General on Regional Cooperation in South East Europe (SEE) 2013-2014, and to assess the implementation of the RCC Strategy and Work Programme 2011 – 2013.

19 May 2014 | News

RCC calls EU for continuation of urgent assistance to flood-affected countries in the region

BRUSSELS/SARAJEVO – The Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Goran Svilanovic, asked for continuation of EU assistance to flood-affected countries in the region, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia, during his meeting with the European Union's Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response, Kristalina Georgieva, in Brussels ...

14 May 2014 | News

President of Montenegro Filip Vujanović meets with RCC Secretary General Goran Svilanović in Sarajevo

SARAJEVO – Goran Svilanović, Regional Cooperation Council (RCC)’s Secretary General, met with Filip Vujanović, President of Montenegro, at the organisation’s Secretariat in Sarajevo today.

13 May 2014 | News

Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic visits Regional Cooperation Council Secretariat

SARAJEVO – Regional Cooperation Council’s (RCC) Secretary General Goran Svilanovic welcomed Serbian delegation led by the Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic at the RCC Secretariat in Sarajevo today.

24 April 2014 | News

Regional Cooperation Council Board accepts the organisation’s Annual Report

SARAJEVO – The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Board accepted the Annual Report of the RCC Secretary General on regional cooperation in South East Europe in the period 2013-2014 at its 23rd meeting held in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, today.

15 April 2014 | News

Public Policy Masters Students from Hague visit RCC Secretariat

Regional Cooperation Council’s (RCC) Secretariat hosted a group of 26 students and professors from the Erasmus Mundus Masters Programme in Public Policy (Mundus MAPP) from Hague, Netherlands today.

27 March 2014 | News

Germany supports RCC’s public awareness activities with 50,000 euro grant

Agreement on 50,000 euro grant to support public awareness activities of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Secretariat in 2014 was signed by the RCC Secretary General, Goran Svilanovic and German Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ulrike Knotz in Sarajevo today.

27 February 2014 | News

Regional Cooperation Council presents Champion of Regional Cooperation award for 2013, marks 6th anniversary

SARAJEVO – On the occasion of today’s sixth anniversary of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), the organization’s Secretary General Goran Svilanovic presented the South East European Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning (SEECEL) with the Champion of Regional Cooperation award for 2013. The award was handed to Efka Heder, SEECEL Director.

21 January 2014 | News

Regional Cooperation Council Secretary General congratulates Serbia on opening accession talks with European Union

SARAJEVO – Goran Svilanovic, Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), congratulated Serbia for opening negotiations for a European Union (EU) membership today.

18 December 2013 | News

Svilanović via Twitter: SEE 2020 strategy dependable mechanism of regional economic growth

SARAJEVO – The region of South East Europe (SEE) may progress only if we work together diligently on transforming our economies into more open, competitive and interconnected ones, said the Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Goran Svilanović in his first Twitter interview with the regional press on Wednesday. Svilanović presented ambitious goals set by the ...

12 December 2013 | News

Panel debate on online media regulation in South East Europe to be held in Belgrade tomorrow

SARAJEVO/BELGRADE – A panel debate on findings of the Academy on Media Law in South East Europe: Online media regulation – Where does regulation end and overregulation start? will take place in Belgrade, tomorrow, 13 December.

17 June 2013 | News

RCC Secretary General briefs diplomats in Sarajevo of results of the organization's 5th Annual Meeting

Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Goran Svilanovic, briefed today the diplomatic community in Sarajevo of results in implementing the RCC Strategy and Work Programme 2011-2013, the outcome of the RCC Annual Meeting held in Ohrid last month, and the state of regional cooperation in South East Europe.

31 May 2013 | News

South East European ministers of foreign affairs express support to RCC work, hail its SEE 2020 growth strategy

OHRID/SARAJEVO – Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) approved in Ohrid today the annual report of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Secretary General and the organization’s work programme for 2014-2016, focused on SEE 2020 – a Job-Creating Growth and EU Integration Strategy.

30 May 2013 | News

Regional Cooperation Council key forum for all-inclusive regional cooperation in South East Europe, say organization’s participants

OHRID/SARAJEVO – The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) is a key forum for inclusive regional cooperation in South East Europe, participants of the 5th Annual Meeting of the organization agreed in Ohrid today, while endorsing its new strategy for the 2014-2016 period and the annual report of the RCC Secretary General.

30 May 2013 | News

Annual Meeting endorsed new Regional Cooperation Council strategy and annual report

OHRID/SARAJEVO – The 5th Annual Meeting of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) endorsed the organization’s new strategy for the 2014-2016 period and the Annual Report of the RCC Secretary General. The meeting was held in Ohrid on 30th May 2013.

16 May 2013 | News

Regional Cooperation Council Secretary General meets chief executive of Vienna Economic Forum

Goran Svilanovic, Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Secretary General, met today with Ambassador Elena Kirtcheva, Secretary General of the Vienna Economic Forum (VEF), at the premises of the RCC Secretariat in Sarajevo.

25 April 2013 | News

Regional Cooperation Council Board adopts the organization’s new three-year strategy and work programme

The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Board adopted today the RCC Strategy and Work Programme 2014-2016, centred around implementation of the South East Europe 2020 (SEE 2020) strategy, as the organization's contribution to overcoming economic crisis in the region.

22 April 2013 | News

Germany supports work of RCC Secretariat with a 50,000 euro grant

A 50,000 euro grant agreement supporting activities of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Secretariat in 2013 was signed by Goran Svilanovic, RCC Secretary General, and Ulrike Knotz, German Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina, in Sarajevo today.

18 March 2013 | News

South East Europe 2020 growth strategy in focus of regional meeting, to be held in Sarajevo tomorrow, under RCC auspices

SARAJEVO – Development of the South East Europe (SEE) 2020 regional growth strategy and its implementation will be the main topics of the 12th South East Europe Investment Committee (SEEIC) Meeting, which will be held in Sarajevo tomorrow.

11 March 2013 | News

Seven German ambassadors from Western Balkans and foreign ministry discuss regional issues, express support to RCC work

SARAJEVO - Ambassadors of Germany in Belgrade, Podgorica, Prishtina, Sarajevo, Skopje and Tirana, accompanied by colleagues from the foreign ministry, discussed political situation in Western Balkans and the region’s European perspective during a visit to the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Secretariat in Sarajevo today. 

28 February 2013 | News

Regional Cooperation Council Board amends statutory documents to reflect EU-mediated agreement on Kosovo* regional representation

At its first meeting in 2013, the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Board decided to amend the statute and the list of participants of the organization, reflecting the results of the EU-mediated dialogue between Belgrade and Prishtina.

27 February 2013 | News

Foreign Minister Poposki visits RCC Secretariat, backs organization’s goals and activities

The current Chair-in-Office of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Nikola Poposki, paid a visit to the RCC Secretariat today to express support to the activities of the organization and congratulate Secretary General Goran Svilanovic on his recent appointment to the post.

08 January 2013 | News

New Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council takes up post

SARAJEVO – Goran Svilanović, the new Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), has assumed his duties in Sarajevo today.

10 December 2012 | News

Regional Cooperation Council wins award for extraordinary contribution to humanism

SARAJEVO – The International Peace Centre Sarajevo (IPC) assigned its traditional Sloboda (Freedom) award to the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) for an extraordinary contribution to humanism, fight for human rights and freedom in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Europe and the world.

18 October 2012 | News

Regional Cooperation Council Board discusses state of cooperation in South East Europe, thanks outgoing Secretary General Biscevic

The last meeting in 2012 of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Board heard today a report by RCC Secretary General Hido Biscevic on activities of the organization’s Secretariat in the period May-October 2012, primarily in relation to results achieved in the implementation of the RCC Strategy and Work Programme 2011-2013, as well as information on the future ...

27 September 2012 | News

As South East European ministers discuss measures to consolidate cooperation, RCC Secretary General Biscevic is awarded Bulgarian Golden Laurel medal

As South East European ministers discuss measures to consolidate cooperation, RCC Secretary General Biscevic is awarded Bulgarian Golden Laurel medal

22 June 2012 | News

RCC briefs diplomats in Sarajevo of results of its 4th Annual Meeting

The Secretariat of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) briefed today the diplomatic community in Sarajevo of results of the 4th Annual Meeting of the organization and the related South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) events, held in Belgrade last week.

20 June 2012 | News

Germany grants 50,000 euro to support work of RCC Secretariat

The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Secretary General, Hido Biscevic, and German Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ulrike Knotz, signed in Sarajevo today a 50,000 euro grant agreement in support of the work of the RCC Secretariat in 2012.

15 June 2012 | News

South East European Heads of State and Government praise RCC work, thank outgoing and approve of new Secretary General

BELGRADE/SARAJEVO – The Heads of State and Government of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) praised in Belgrade today the achievements of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) and its Secretary General Hido Bisevic, approving at the same time of the election of his successor Goran Svilanovic.

14 June 2012 | News

South East European foreign ministers appoint Goran Svilanović as the new Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council

BELGRADE/SARAJEVO – Goran Svilanović has been appointed the new Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) by the ministers of foreign affairs of the states participating in the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP), at their meeting held in Belgrade today.

13 June 2012 | News

Annual Meeting endorses RCC annual report and nomination of new Secretary General

BELGRADE/SARAJEVO – The 4th Annual Meeting of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) endorsed in Belgrade today the Annual Report of the organization’s Secretary General and the nomination of Goran Svilanovic as the next RCC Secretary General for a three-year period, effective as of 1 January 2013.

15 May 2012 | News

Regional Cooperation Council Board meets in Sarajevo, accepts annual, financial reports

The second meeting of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Board in 2012 accepted today the Annual Report 2011-2012 of the organization’s Secretary General. It also approved the Secretary General’s financial report for 2011.

15 March 2012 | News

Regional Cooperation Council Board holds its first meeting in 2012, in Sarajevo

Assessment of the first year of implementation of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Strategy and Work Programme 2011-2013, and the report of the organization’s Secretary General on the activities of the Secretariat over the past three months, were in focus of today’s meeting of the RCC Board, held in Sarajevo.

13 March 2012 | News

Regional cooperation in South East Europe, EU membership focus of 4th RCC anniversary celebration

SARAJEVO – The 4th anniversary of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) will be marked in Sarajevo tomorrow with a panel discussion From ownership to responsibility: Regional cooperation in South East Europe and EU membership.

13 March 2012 | News

RCC Secretary General, BiH Foreign Minister meet in Sarajevo

Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Hido Biscevic, held consultations with the new Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Zlatko Lagumdzija, in Sarajevo today.

06 March 2012 | News

RCC Secretary General meets Minister of Foreign Affairs in Skopje

Hido Biscevic, Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), met in Skopje today with Nikola Poposki, Minister of Foreign Affairs, of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, as the incoming chair of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP).

31 January 2012 | News

RCC Secretary General, Serbian Foreign Minister meet in Belgrade

Hido Biscevic, Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), met in Belgrade today with Vuk Jeremic, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia and the current chair of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP), to talk about regional cooperation and political developments in South East Europe.

08 December 2011 | News

Head of LSE institute to speak about perceptions of crisis-struck Europe, sign agreement with RCC, in Sarajevo

SARAJEVO – The impact of the current euro-zone crisis on perceptions of ‘Europe’ will be the topic of a lecture by Professor Kevin Featherstone, Head of the European Institute at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), to be held at the Sarajevo School of Economics and Business (EFSA), tomorrow.

08 December 2011 | News

Regional Cooperation Council Board meets in Sarajevo today, adopts budget

The Board of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) reviewed today in Sarajevo the activities of the organization over the past three months, adopted the RCC Secretariat’s budget for 2012, and provided guidance for the future work of the organization.

16 November 2011 | News

131 million euro European Commission strategy for Western Balkan discussed at Regional Cooperation Council in Sarajevo

SARAJEVO – More than 70 participants, representing beneficiaries from the Western Balkans and Turkey, took part in the latest Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) Multi-Beneficiary Programme Coordination Meeting on regional cooperation that ends in Sarajevo today.

16 November 2011 | News

European Commission’s Director General for Enlargement visits RCC Secretariat

Director General for Enlargement of the European Commission, Stefano Sannino, visited the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Secretariat in Sarajevo today, to discuss regional cooperation with RCC Secretary General, Hido Biscevic.

11 November 2011 | News

Seminar on freedom, independence and sustainability of public service media in South East Europe to open in Sarajevo on Monday

SARAJEVO – Over 50 participants from the Regional Cooperation Council’s 13 South East European members will discuss independence and sustainability of the region’s public service media in Sarajevo, on Monday, 14 November.

10 November 2011 | News

RCC Secretary General Biščević meets EU Commissioner Füle over regional cooperation

Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Hido Biščević, met in Brussels today with EU Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy, Štefan Füle, to talk about current situation in the region and regional cooperation in view of the last month’s European Commission’s Enlargement Package.

05 October 2011 | News

RCC Secretary General, Albanian Deputy Prime Minister meet ahead of key European decisions affecting the region

Hido Biscevic, Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), met today in Tirana with Edmond Haxhinasto, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Albania, to discuss regional cooperation and developments in South East Europe ahead of European Union’s progress reports due later this month.

30 September 2011 | News

Protocol on regional cooperation among South East European public media signed in Sarajevo, under RCC auspices

SARAJEVO – Directors general of 12 public broadcasters signed today in Sarajevo a Protocol on Regional Cooperation in Education and Training among members of the European Association of Public Service Media in South East Europe, under the auspices of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Secretariat.

28 September 2011 | News

Directors general of South East European public media to sign cooperation protocol in Sarajevo, with RCC support

SARAJEVO – Directors general of 13 public service broadcasters from South East Europe, supported by the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), will sign a protocol on regional cooperation in Sarajevo on Friday, 30 September.

23 September 2011 | News

RCC Secretary General meets South East European foreign ministers in New York

Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Hido Biscevic, took part in an informal meeting of ministers of foreign affairs of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP), the Central European Initiative (CEI) and the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative (AII), held in New York today at the margins of the UN General Assembly session. 

15 September 2011 | News

RCC Board meets in Sarajevo to discuss activities of the organization

The 28-member Board of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) met in Sarajevo today, to review activities of the past trimester and set course for the work of the organization until the end of the year.

07 September 2011 | News

RCC Secretary General discusses regional affairs and organization’s activities with senior U.S. and World Bank officials

Hido Biscevic, Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), met yesterday in Washington D.C. with Phil Reeker, United States Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, and a number of senior U.S. officials; as well as with Philippe Le Houerou, Vice President of the World Bank for Europe and Central Asia Region.

06 July 2011 | News

Serbian President Tadic gives full support to RCC activities in promoting regional cooperation in South East Europe

SARAJEVO – President of the Republic of Serbia, Boris Tadic, paid a visit today to the Secretariat of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) in Sarajevo, where he expressed full support to the work of the organization during his meeting with RCC Secretary General Hido Biscevic.

30 June 2011 | News

Heads of State and Government of South East Europe praise work of Regional Cooperation Council

BUDVA/SARAJEVO – The Heads of State and Government of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) praised today in Budva the successful implementation of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Strategy and Work Programme 2011-2013, endorsing the Annual Report of its Secretary General.

29 June 2011 | News

South East European foreign ministers voice support to RCC activities, endorse its Annual Report

BUDVA/SARAJEVO – Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) countries commended today the work of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) and its Secretary General at a meeting in Budva, Montenegro.

28 June 2011 | News

Regional cooperation in South East Europe encouraging, says RCC Secretary General at the organization’s Annual Meeting

BUDVA/SARAJEVO – “Regional cooperation in South East Europe has exhibited encouraging signs over the past year“ said Hido Biscevic, Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), while opening the organization's third Annual Meeting in the Montenegrin town of Becici near Budva, on 28 June 2011.

24 June 2011 | News

Annual Meeting of Regional Cooperation Council to be held in Budva, Montenegro

BUDVA/SARAJEVO – The third Annual Meeting of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), will take place in the Montenegrin town of Becici near Budva, on 28 June 2011.

21 June 2011 | News

RCC Secretary General takes part in EU-Western Balkans ministerial meeting

Hido Biscevic, Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), took part in the ministerial meeting EU-Western Balkans: Western Balkans Forum, held in Luxembourg yesterday.

25 May 2011 | News

RCC Secretary General and European Commission Director discuss transport priorities in South East Europe

Hido Biscevic, Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), met today with Marjeta Jager, Director for General Policy at the Directorate General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE) of the European Commission, to discuss transport sector priorities in South East Europe. 

12 May 2011 | News

RCC Board reviews progress in implementation of organization's 2011-2013 strategy

The second meeting of the Board of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) in 2011, held in Sarajevo today, reviewed work of the RCC Secretariat over the past two months and discussed its future activities.

17 March 2011 | News

South East European ministers to endorse regional strategy on justice and home affairs, prepared under RCC auspices

BUDVA/SARAJEVO – A two-day conference of ministers of justice and interior of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP), which is expected to endorse the Regional Strategic Document on Justice and Home Affairs 2011-2013 developed by the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Secretariat and relevant stakeholders from the region, commenced in Budva today.

15 March 2011 | News

South East European defense ministers stress RCC’s importance in regional cooperation

In a Joint Statement adopted in Budva today, Ministers of Defense of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) stressed the importance of defense and security cooperation in fostering general stability and development in the region.

08 March 2011 | News

Regional Cooperation Council Board holds its first meeting in 2011 in Sarajevo today

The Board of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) met in Sarajevo today to review the activities of the organization over the past three months and provide guidance for the period ahead.

04 March 2011 | News

Prospects for regional cooperation in South East Europe in 2011 and beyond focus of the 3rd RCC anniversary celebration

SARAJEVO – A panel discussion South East Europe in 2011 and Beyond: Sharing the Same Vision will be held in Sarajevo, on Monday, 7 March, to mark the third anniversary of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC).

28 January 2011 | News

Montenegrin Foreign Minister, RCC Secretary General sign protocol on hosting regional task force on culture and society

BECICI/SARAJEVO – A protocol on the host country arrangements for the Secretariat of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Task Force on Culture and Society was signed this evening by Montenegrin Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, Milan Rocen, and RCC Secretary General, Hido Biscevic, in Becici, Montenegro.

16 December 2010 | News

RCC Secretary General and EU Commissioner for Regional Policy discuss cooperation

Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Hido Biscevic, met in Brussels yesterday with EU Commissioner for Regional Policy, Johannes Hahn, and exchanged views on RCC activities related to implementation of the RCC Strategy and Work Programme 2011-2013.

13 December 2010 | News

RCC Secretary General, EU Enlargement Director General agree 2010 successful for regional cooperation

Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Hido Biscevic, met in Brussels today with the European Commission's Director General for Enlargement, Michael Leigh, to discuss preparations for implementation of the RCC Strategy and Work Programme 2011-2013, and evaluate the progress made thus far.

10 December 2010 | News

RCC Secretary General meets EU Commissioner for Enlargement

Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Hido Biscevic, met in Brussels yesterday with the EU Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy, Stefan Fuele, to discuss regional cooperation in South East Europe.

02 December 2010 | News

Regional Cooperation Council Board meets in Sarajevo today

The 28-member Board of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) heard in Sarajevo today a report by RCC Secretary General Hido Biscevic on the activities of the organization’s Secretariat since September 2010 and the information on the work planned for the next three months.

29 November 2010 | News

RCC Secretary General meets officials of upcoming Hungarian EU Presidency

The Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Hido Biscevic, held a series of meetings in Budapest today with officials of the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in the context of Hungary’s takeover of the Presidency of the European Union (EU) on 1 January 2011.

15 November 2010 | News

RCC Secretary General meets Slovenian Foreign Minister over cooperation in South East Europe

The Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Hido Biscevic, met today with Slovenian Foreign Minister Samuel Zbogar and Ambassador Mitja Strukelj, National Coordinator for the Western Balkans, to discuss political situation and regional cooperation in South East Europe.

15 October 2010 | News

Sarajevo conference calls on European institutions to support public media in digital transition for South East Europe

SARAJEVO – Broadcasters and government officials pledged to ensure a smooth digital transition in South East Europe and called on European institutions for financial support in the interests of European cohesion.

06 October 2010 | News

RCC Secretary General discusses regional cooperation with Bulgarian officials

The Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Hido Biscevic, held consultations in Sofia today with Deputy Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Energy and Transport, Milen Ljutzkanov, Mario Kosev and Ivaylo Moskovski, respectively, as well as Ambassador at Large for Energy Security and Climate Change, Peter Poptchev.

15 September 2010 | News

RCC Secretary General to outline the organization’s new three-year strategy at a press conference in Sarajevo tomorrow

SARAJEVO – The Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Hido Biscevic, will present the organization’s new strategy for 2011-2013, and outline the main activities scheduled for this autumn, at a press conference in Sarajevo, tomorrow, 16 September.

14 July 2010 | News

RCC Secretary General presents the organization’s new strategy at COWEB Capitals meeting

The RCC Secretary General Hido Biscevic presented today to the COWEB Capitals meeting in Brussels the organization’s Strategy and Work Programme 2011-13, adopted last month, and received support to the organization’s work by the participants.

30 June 2010 | News

RCC Secretary General discusses energy and transport projects with Albanian officials

The Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Hido Biscevic met in Tirana today with top Albanian officials to discuss concrete regional projects, primarily in the energy and transport sectors.

29 June 2010 | News

RCC Secretary General discusses regional cooperation in Pristina

The RCC Secretary General Hido Biscevic visited Pristina today to discuss development opportunities in the context of regional cooperation in South East Europe.

23 June 2010 | News

South East European heads of state give full support to the Regional Cooperation Council, approve appointment of its Secretary General

ISTANBUL/SARAJEVO – The Heads of State and Government of the South East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) expressed today at the summit meeting in Istanbul their appreciation for the work of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) in transforming the current advanced regional cooperation to a new level, focusing on concrete and targeted projects aimed at regional recovery and economic ...

22 June 2010 | News

South East European foreign ministers re-appoint Hido Biscevic as Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council

ISTANBUL/SARAJEVO – The ministers of foreign affairs of the states participating in the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) re-appointed Hido Biscevic as the Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), at their meeting in Istanbul today.

22 June 2010 | News

Annual Meeting endorses new RCC strategy, annual report and nomination of Secretary General

ISTANBUL/SARAJEVO – The Annual Meeting of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), held in Istanbul today, endorsed the organization’s 2011-2013 Strategy and Work Programme, and the Annual Report of its Secretary General for the past year’s activities.

12 June 2010 | News

RCC Secretary General and EU Enlargement Commissioner discuss EU policy towards South East Europe

RCC Secretary General, Hido Biscevic, and EU Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy, Stefan Fuele, agreed at their meeting in Brussels yesterday that the last week’s high level EU-Western Balkans meeting and recent activities of political leaders from South East Europe affirmed the EU perspective of all the countries...

07 June 2010 | News

RCC Secretary General takes part in the 8th conference of SEECP speakers of parliament

The Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Hido Biscevic, participated today in the 8th meeting of speakers of parliament of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) participating states, held in Antalya. The event was organized by the Republic of Turkey, which holds the rotating SEECP Chairmanship-in-Office.

02 June 2010 | News

RCC Secretary General hails messages of EU-Western Balkans meeting in Sarajevo, and new era of regional relations

SARAJEVO – “The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) strongly supports political meetings, statements and decisions that lead to a new era of relations in South East Europe, based on trust, dialogue and tolerance”, said RCC Secretary General, Hido Biscevic, at today’s high level EU-Western Balkans meeting in Sarajevo, organized by the Spanish Presidency with the support of the EU.  

18 May 2010 | News

RCC Board finalizes discussions on the organization’s three-year strategy

Members of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Board supported in Sarajevo today the concept of the 2011-2013 strategy and work programme of the organization, and agreed to finalize it in time for the approval by the RCC Annual Meeting in Istanbul, Turkey, on 22 June.

17 May 2010 | News

European Movements from South East Europe meet for the first time in Sarajevo, under RCC auspices

SARAJEVO – National European Movement Councils from eight South East European countries met in Sarajevo today for the first time to discuss greater civil society involvement in regional cooperation. The event was hosted by the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Secretariat.

29 April 2010 | News

Biscevic, Djelic agree on the importance of regional projects as a developement stimulus

“The main goal of the series of visits to the RCC members from South East Europe, I have undertook, is pinpointing the national projects that could be implemented on a regional level, thus creating a climate for invigorated economic development of the region as a whole,” said Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Secretary General, Hido Biscevic, at the meeting with Serbian Deputy Prime ...

29 April 2010 | News

Secretary General with PM Gruevski: Cooperation on joint projects a way to accelerated development

As part of visits to the Regional Cooperation Council members from South East Europe, the Secretary General Hido Biscevic met yesterday in Skopje with the Prime Minister of The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Nikola Gruevski, and informed him on the finalization of the Strategy and Work Programme of the organization for the 2011-2013 period.

27 April 2010 | News

RCC national coordinators from South East Europe discuss new strategy of the organization

The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) national coordinators from South East Europe met today to discuss the draft organization’s strategy for 2011-2013, with the aim of its finalization and subsequent approval by the RCC Board on 18 May 2010.

14 April 2010 | News

Regional Cooperation Council launches redesigned website and new publication, a monthly newsletter

SARAJEVO – The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Secretariat launched today a redesigned version of the organization’s website and a new publication, the monthly e-newsletter.

09 April 2010 | News

RCC Secretary General joins experts in addressing economic crisis in South East Europe

Hido Biščević, Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), took part in a conference of ministers of economy and finance of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP), which is being held in Istanbul, Turkey, on 8-10 April 2010.

08 April 2010 | News

RCC Secretary General holds talks with Turkish officials

The Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Hido Biščević, met today with Ambassador Feridun Sinirlioğlu, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, and Ambassador Şanıvar Olgun, Turkish RCC National Coordinator, to discuss future activities of the organization.

30 March 2010 | News

RCC Secretary General, officials of the Republic of Moldova discuss joint activities

Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Hido Biscevic met today with high-level officials of the Republic of Moldova to outline the organization’s priorities in the next three years and the ways the Republic of Moldova can take best advantage of regional cooperation in South East Europe.

09 March 2010 | News

Future RCC role in focus of talks between the organization’s Secretary General and EC Director General for Enlargement

Future role of the RCC and its Strategic Work Programme for 2011-2013 was in focus of a meeting between RCC Secretary General Hido Biscevic and Director General for Enlargement in the European Commission Michael Leigh, held in Brussels today.

04 March 2010 | News

RCC Board starts discussing the organization's strategy for the next three years

SARAJEVO – The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Board discussed today the first draft of the new, three-year Strategic Work Programme of the organization for the period 2011-2013.

26 February 2010 | News

RCC Secretary General and Montenegrin Prime Minister discuss cooperation

The RCC Secretary General, Hido Biscevic, and the Montenegrin Prime Minister, Milo Djukanovic, discussed in Podgorica today political developments in South East Europe (SEE) and importance of the SEE countries’ steady progress towards EU integration.

23 February 2010 | News

International conference on overcoming economic crisis in Western Balkans to mark 2nd RCC anniversary

SARAJEVO – A two-day regional conference “Western Balkans in 2020 – Overcoming the Economic Crisis and Developing Competitive Economies” will open in Sarajevo tomorrow. The event, organized by the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Secretariat, will also mark the 2nd anniversary of the organization.

17 February 2010 | News

RCC Secretary General holds talks with Chairman of BiH Council of Ministers

The RCC Secretary General, Hido Biscevic, met today with the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Nikola Spiric, and informed him of the new phase of RCC activities following the initial period of the organization’s profiling as the key driver of regional cooperation in South East Europe (SEE).

09 December 2009 | News

Reforms, confirmed European perspective and development cooperation set base for advancement of South East Europe, says RCC head at Western Balkans conference in Brussels

BRUSSELS – “The EU enlargement process must continue to be based upon the principle of fulfilment of accession criteria, on one hand, and on full confirmation of the European perspective for all countries of South East Europe, on the other“, said Hido Biscevic, Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), at a high-level conference on the Western Balkans, held in Brussels ...

07 December 2009 | News

High-level Western Balkans conference to be held in Brussels on Wednesday, under EU auspices and with RCC support

SARAJEVO/BRUSSELS – A conference on the Western Balkans “Overcoming the economic crisis – from regional cooperation to EU membership” will take place in Brussels, on Wednesday, 9 December. The event will be organized by the Swedish EU Presidency and the European Commission, in cooperation with the Regional Cooperation Council.

03 December 2009 | News

RCC Board discusses future strategic focuses of organization's activities and supports efforts of its Secretariat in Sarajevo

SARAJEVO – The 29 members of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Board discussed today in Sarajevo further strategic prioritization of activities of the organization and gave full support to its Secretariat in these efforts.

13 November 2009 | News

RCC Secretary General takes part in a summit of Heads of Government of the Central European Initiative

The RCC Secretary General, Hido Biščević, participated in a meeting of Heads of Government of the Member States of the Central European Initiative (CEI) in Bucharest today. Secretary General Biščević extended his congratulations on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of successful cooperation and achievements of the Central European Initiative.

12 October 2009 | News

South East European journalists to talk in Sarajevo about media role in the region, under RCC and OSCE auspices

SARAJEVO – Journalists and editors from leading South East European media outlets will gather in Sarajevo on 15-16 October to discuss their role in shaping a new image of the region as a place of tolerance, progress and European values.

09 October 2009 | News

RCC Secretary General takes part in informal meeting of South East European Foreign Ministers in Istanbul

The RCC Secretary General Hido Biščević participated in Istanbul in the first informal meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) under the Turkish SEECP Chairmanship.

17 September 2009 | News

First meeting of prominent experts from South East Europe on regional response to economic crisis takes place in Sarajevo under RCC auspices

SARAJEVO – A panel of high-level experts from South East Europe (SEE) met in Sarajevo today to stimulate in depth discussion on regional response to global economic crisis. The first such meeting in the region was held under the auspices of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Secretariat.

15 September 2009 | News

RCC Board discusses situation in South East Europe and praises work of the organization’s Secretariat in Sarajevo

SARAJEVO – The Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Hido Biscevic, presented his latest quarterly report on the activities of the RCC Secretariat to the 29 members of the organization's Board, who gathered in Sarajevo today. The report covers the period between 9 May and 9 September 2009.

03 September 2009 | News

Senior Greek officials commend work of RCC and its Secretary General

The RCC Secretary General, Hido Biščević, held talks in Greece today with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yannis Valinakis, and the Ministry's Secretary General for European Affairs, Dimitrios Katsoudas. The officials discussed political developments in South East Europe and challenges in this respect.

22 July 2009 | News

US to continue strong support to Regional Cooperation Council, senior official tells RCC Secretary General

WASHINGTON/SARAJEVO – The United States will continue its strong support to the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) as key partner in maintaining Euro-Atlantic perspective of the countries of South East Europe (SEE), senior US State Department officials told RCC Secretary General Hido Biscevic during his two-day visit to Washington, which ends today.

19 May 2009 | News

RCC Secretary General meets EU High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy

During a visit to Sarajevo today, the EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, Javier Solana, met with the RCC Secretary General, Hido Biscevic, to reiterate EU support to RCC activities.

20 April 2009 | News

RCC Secretary General speaks to Council of Europe Development Bank officials

The RCC Secretary General Hido Biscevic met today in Paris with officials of the Council of Europe Development Bank, including the Bank’s Vice Governor Imre Tarafas, to explore the ways the two institutions can cooperate the best in the future.

16 April 2009 | News

RCC Secretary General meets Hungarian officials over RCC priorities

The RCC Secretary General Hido Biscevic held consultations in Budapest today with State Secretary of the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Gabor Szentivanyi, and other ministry officials, on RCC work and Hungarian contribution to the activities of the organization.

14 April 2009 | News

RCC Secretary General holds consultations with Czech EU Presidency and delivers lecture at Prague Institute for International Relations

Within regular consultations with the EU Presidency, the RCC Secretary General, Hido Biscevic, met today with the First Czech Deputy Foreign Minister, Tomas Pojar, to discuss current situation in South East Europe (SEE) and cooperation between the RCC and the Presidency.

25 March 2009 | News

RCC Secretary General holds consultations with 2010 Spanish EU presidency

The RCC Secretary General Hido Biscevic met in Madrid today with the Secretary of State for Europe at the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Diego López Garrido, and other high-level officials of the Ministry, for consultations on RCC activities and the role of Spain as a future EU presidency holder.

19 February 2009 | News

RCC National Coordinators from South East Europe meet in Sarajevo

National Coordinators from RCC members from South East Europe (SEE) held their first meeting in 2009 in Sarajevo today, to discuss the most recent RCC activities.

12 February 2009 | News

RCC Secretary General invites Skopje to propose projects with neighbours to fully utilize EU funds available

SKOPJE/SARAJEVO – “I invite Skopje authorities to propose projects to be implemented under the EU’s Multi-beneficiary Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (MB IPA) Programme, and take full advantage of cooperation links the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) has built with EU institutions for this purpose”, RCC Secretary General Hido Biscevic told Prime Minister of The Former Yugoslav ...

10 February 2009 | News

EU role in preserving South East European market from crisis vital, RCC Secretary General tells European Commission

BRUSSELS/SARAJEVO – In times of economic crisis, a key strategic interest of South East European countries is to ensure that the regional market, as one of the most dynamic emerging markets in the world, is preserved and economic activities enhanced, said Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Hido Biščević, at a meeting with EU Commission’s Director General for ...

04 February 2009 | News

RCC Secretary General meets Chair of BiH Council of Ministers over investment initiative

The RCC Secretary General, Hido Biscevic, met today the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Nikola Spiric, to discuss investment possibilities in South East Europe.

31 January 2009 | News

Knowledge, political will, responsibility and compromise, tools for shaping South East Europe relations, says RCC Secretary General in Moldova

CHISINAU/SARAJEVO – “Added urgency, self-responsibility and solidarity among the countries of South East Europe (SEE) are the key tools in ensuring continued positive trends in regional cooperation in SEE”, said the Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Hido Biscevic, in Chisinau yesterday.

08 January 2009 | News

RCC Secretary General asks Russian and Ukrainian Prime Ministers to take steps to restoring gas supply to South East Europe

SARAJEVO – The Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Hido Biscevic, sent a letter today to the Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, conveying greatest concerns in South East Europe (SEE) over the present gas supply cut-off and urging Prime Minister Putin to consider looming humanitarian catastrophe in the Balkans.

05 December 2008 | News

RCC Secretary General takes part in 16th OSCE Ministerial Meeting

The RCC Secretary General Hido Biscevic participated at the 16th Ministerial Council Meeting of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) that took place in Helsinki on 4-5 December 2008.

21 November 2008 | News

RCC Secretary General discusses organization’s activities with Irish officials

The RCC Secretary General Hido Biscevic received support of the Irish Government to the work of the RCC Secretariat at a consultative meeting held with representatives of the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs on 20 November 2008.

18 November 2008 | News

RCC Secretary General holds consultations with UK officials

The RCC Secretary General Hido Biscevic met today in London with the Director of the Western Balkans at the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), Daniel Fearn, and other FCO officials, for consultations regarding the activities of the RCC Secretariat.

07 November 2008 | News

RCC National Coordinators from Southeast Europe meet in Sarajevo

The RCC National Coordinators from Southeast Europe met in Sarajevo today to discuss the regional cooperation priorities and level of harmonization of national activities and strategies with the RCC Strategic Work Programme 2008-2009 as well as with the Multi-beneficiary IPA Programme 2008 priorities.

31 October 2008 | News

RCC Secretary General takes part in World Economic Forum on Europe and Central Asia

The RCC Secretary General Hido Biscevic participated in the work of the World Economic Forum on Europe and Central Asia, which concluded in Istanbul today.

08 October 2008 | News

RCC Secretary General moderates Crans Montana Forum session on EU enlargement and regional cooperation

The RCC Secretary General Hido Biscevic moderated the plenary session of Crans Montana Forum in Sarajevo on 8 October 2008, dedicated to the European enlargement and regional cooperation.

07 October 2008 | News

Croatia’s EU accession talks to have positive impact on advancement of Euro-Atlantic integration of entire Southeast Europe, says RCC Secretary General

ZAGREB/SARAJEVO – Croatia’s role in promoting cooperation in Southeast Europe and the expected positive impact of the country’s EU accession talks on the European integration prospects of the entire region, were the central themes of the talks between the RCC Secretary General Hido Biscevic and the Croatian Minister of Foreign Affairs Gordan Jandrokovic, in Zagreb today. 

02 October 2008 | News

Pristina invited to participate in development projects in Southeast Europe by RCC Secretary General

PRISTINA/SARAJEVO – The RCC Secretary General, Hido Biscevic, discussed with high officials in Pristina yesterday the most beneficial ways of utilizing RCC networking capacities to ensure faster development of the organization’s every Southeast European member.

26 September 2008 | News

RCC Board met in Sarajevo on 6 October

The 29 members of the RCC Board met for the first time at the premises of the RCC Secretariat in Sarajevo on 6 October 2008.

25 September 2008 | News

Bosnia and Herzegovina should take advantage of regional projects, say RCC Secretary General and Chairman of BiH Council of Ministers

SARAJEVO – The ways Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) can take the best advantage of the projects advocated by the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) was the main point of discussion between the RCC Secretary General Hido Biscevic and the Chairman of the BiH Council of Ministers, Nikola Spiric, held in Sarajevo yesterday. 

19 September 2008 | News

Southeast Europe at crossroads, needs faster EU integration to avoid stagnation, says RCC Secretary General at conference in Prague

PRAGUE/SARAJEVO – Southeast Europe needs faster reform pace in order to speed up EU integration and avoid dangerous stagnation, said the RCC Secretary General, Hido Biscevic, at a conference on further EU enlargement organized by the incoming Czech EU Presidency and ANO pro Evropu non-governmental organization in Prague yesterday. 

16 July 2008 | News

World Bank Vice President gives full support to RCC, stresses fire-fighting and waterway use as areas of joint focus

SARAJEVO – At a meeting with the RCC Secretary General Hido Biscevic in Sarajevo today, the World Bank Vice President for Europe and Central Asia, Shigeo Katsu, expressed his complete support to the work of the RCC and to the development of joint cooperation between the two organizations.

11 July 2008 | News

Role of RCC National Coordinators to be strengthened, says organization’s Secretary General

ATHENS/SARAJEVO – The ways of enhancing the role of RCC National Coordinators was in the centre of talks between the RCC Secretary General Hido Biscevic and the Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Yannis Valinakis in Athens yesterday.

10 July 2008 | News

RCC Secretary General praises Serbia's commitment to regional cooperation at a meeting in Belgrade

BELGRADE/SARAJEVO - The RCC Secretary General Hido Biscevic thanked the Serbian Government for its contribution to the RCC work at a meeting with the State Secretary of the Serbian Foreign Ministry Radojko Bogojevic in Belgrade yesterday.

09 July 2008 | News

RCC Secretary General starts his round of political consultations with leaders in South Eastern Europe

SOFIA/SARAJEVO - The RCC Secretary General Hido Biscevic started in Sofia yesterday his round of political consultations with high-level officials of Southeast European countries.

30 June 2008 | News

RCC National Coordinators from SEE hold first meeting in Sarajevo

The 30 June 2008 meeting at the premises of the RCC Secretariat in Sarajevo assessed the level of harmonization of national activities and strategies with the 2008-2009 RCC Strategic Work Programme, and with the priorities of the 2008 Multi-beneficiary Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) Programme of the European Commission.

21 May 2008 | News

RCC Board adopts the organization’s 2008-2009 Strategic Work Programme

On 20 May 2008 in Pomorie, Bulgaria, the RCC Board adopted a report by the RCC Secretary General Hido Biscevic on transformation of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe into the Regional Cooperation Council, as well as the RCC Strategic Work Programme for 2008-2009 and the appointments to the positions in the RCC Secretariat.

19 May 2008 | News

Three-day SEECP summit events start in Pomorie, Bulgaria

On 19 May 2008, the political directors of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) are meeting in Pomorie, Bulgaria, to prepare for the Ministerial and Summit meetings on 20 and 21 May.