First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia Ivica Dacic participated today in New York at a working breakfast of the Western Balkan Foreign Ministers with EU Commissioner for European Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn. The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) organized the working breakfast as a side-event to the 73rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly.

RCC Secretary General Goran Svilanovic presented the track record, as well as the plans and challenges facing further progress on regional cooperation.

Commissioner Hahn particularly stressed the importance of regional cooperation for the European integration process, and the need to streamline the large number of regional initiatives.

The meeting examined issues pertinent to the future development of regional cooperation, especially trade, investment in stronger connectivity and mobility and enhancement of digital integration.

The participants also discussed the necessity to streamline the large number of regional initiatives existing side-by-side in the Western Balkans, and the importance of mutual information-sharing both among RCC members and internally, in the preparation of regional meetings.