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.
(Xinhua News Agency May 4, 2008)
