TIRANA, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Leaders from central and
southeastern European countries said at the conclusion of their two-day summit
on Saturday that the EU enlargement process can't be completed without the full
inclusion of the western Balkan countries.
Officials from 19 central and southeastern European
countries wrapped up their two-day summit at Ohrid, a lakeside resort in
southern Macedonia, on Saturday.
"The region has no alternative but the integration
into the European Union," said the document adopted at the closing of the
meeting.
Macedonian President Branko Crvenkovski called on the
EU to continue its support of the aspiring countries' efforts in this respect.
Participants in the meeting also concluded that
economic development remains one of the highest priorities.
"A precondition for larger economic growth is stable
energy supply and high-quality transport and telecommunication infrastructure at
a local and regional level," the document said.
Kosovo was on the agenda of the meeting, but its
representatives were not invited to the summit.
Crvenkovski explained that it was due to the fact
that there is no consensus among the participants in the meeting on the
recognition of Kosovo's independence.
He also pointed out that Macedonia has not yet
defined its own position regarding Kosovo's independence.