The Parliamentary Assembly of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP PA) reaffirmed its support for the European Union membership of all participants in the South-East European Cooperation Process during its 13th Plenary Session held in Sofia.
The participants further stated in the Final Declaration of the SEECP PA General Assembly that the enlargement of the European Union constitutes a strategic investment in peace, security, stability and prosperity in South-East Europe and remains an exceptionally effective instrument for promoting democratic reforms, reconciliation and sustainable development. They also reaffirmed that the principle of own merits, the fulfilment of membership criteria and the commitments undertaken at the European level should remain the guiding principles of the accession process. (The full text of the Resolution is available on the website.)
The main theme of the Plenary Session was “Interparliamentary Dialogue, Strengthening Good-Neighbourly Relations and the European Perspective of the Region”. The forum was opened by the Speaker of the National Assembly and President of the Assembly, Michaela Dotsova. In her address, she recalled that this year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the South-East European Cooperation Process, while its foundations were laid in Sofia in 1996 with the signing of the Sofia Declaration on Good-Neighbourly Relations, Stability, Security and Cooperation in the Balkans.
“This anniversary is an occasion not only to assess what has been achieved, but also to reaffirm our shared determination to continue working together to strengthen good-neighbourly relations and regional cooperation. Today, in an increasingly complex international environment and amid growing challenges, the importance of the SEECP remains particularly significant,” Dotsova stressed.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Velislava Petrova also addressed the participants. The theme of the Plenary Session reflects the essence of our common political project, the Foreign Minister said, describing it as a message to the citizens of the region, to Europe and to the world that “unity is our strategic resource, our instrument for security and our path towards sustainable development.” Bulgaria was among the initiators of this vision and has remained one of its consistent advocates, she added.
The three General Committees of the SEECP PA, as well as the Standing Committee, also held meetings. The participants unanimously adopted the committees’ reports and resolutions by consensus. (The full texts are available on the website.)
Sofia has held the rotating Presidency of the Assembly from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026. The Plenary Session in Sofia marked the conclusion of Bulgaria’s Presidency of the SEECP PA. Bulgaria handed over the Presidency for the coming year to Romania.
The initiative was launched in July 1996 in Sofia, when the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of eight South-East European countries adopted the Sofia Declaration on Good-Neighbourliness, Stability, Security and Cooperation in the Balkans. Over the years, the number of participating countries has increased, and today the Process brings together 13 participants: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece, Kosovo, Moldova, Romania, the Republic of North Macedonia, Slovenia, Serbia, Türkiye, Croatia and Montenegro.
