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EU to Provide Aid to Ex-Yugoslav Countries, Albania
The European Union (EU) will provide six former Yugoslav countries and Albania with 4.65 billion euros (US$4.4 billion) in aid for the period from now till 2006, according to the EU presidency state France on Thursday.
The French Foreign Ministry said in a communique that the aid program will be announced during the first EU-Balkans summit to be held on Friday in Zagreb, Croatia.
The heads of state or government of the 15 EU countries and their counterparts from Croatia, Bosnia, Macedonia, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Albania will attend the summit. Slovenia will be represented by its foreign minister.
French President Jacques Chirac and his Croatian counterpart Stephan Mesic will co-chair the summit, which will discuss regional cooperations in the Balkans and rapprochement between former Yugoslav countries and EU.
France said that the "democratic change" in Croatia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia have made it possible to open the way of reconciliation and cooperation in the Balkan region.
The communique noted that it makes possible a policy of good neighborliness based on negotiated solution to disputes, the respect of people belonging to the minorities, the respect of international obligations, the lasting solution to the question of refugees and displaced persons, and the respect of international frontiers between states.
"It should help the conclusion of talks on the control and reduction of armaments at the regional level as is called for by the Dayton agreements," it said.
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