ZAGREB - 5th Annual Meeting of Ministers on the Development of the South East Europe Core Regional Transport Network was held on December 03rd, 2009 in Zagreb, Croatia.
Jubilee Meeting gathered Ministers and high level representatives from Ministries of Transport in the Region, European Commission, EBRD, EIB and World Bank, as well as Corridor, CER and other transport related organization representatives and gave opportunity to all SEETO Participants to present progress of implementation of Memorandum of Understanding on the development of the SEE Core Regional Transport Network throughout 5 years of cooperation under SEETO umbrella. Opening the Meeting and welcoming all guests, Mr. Božidar Kalmeta, Minister of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure of the Republic of Croatia recalled that since June 2004 Croatia had invested EUR 3.2 billion in the development and reconstruction of the Core Transport Network. Meeting was maintained by Mrs. Katarina Čop Bajde as moderator who also presented SEETO Multi Annual Plan 2010-2014 as SEETO Steering Committee Chairman.
Comparing with previous years, 5th AMM included different items to be discussed, such as Challenges of the Railway Reform, Regional dimension of Road Safety and Five years of successful regional cooperation along the Core Network. All speakers stressed importance to secure additional finance for infrastructure and transport projects and participants had opportunity to hear various views and future plans of the Region.
5th AMM was closed with very important presentation which proposed directions for the future - Mr. Zoltan Kazatsay, Deputy General Director of DG Energy and Transport, European Commission stressed importance of regional cooperation and proposed the way how to make the cooperation even stronger.