Southeast European Cooperative Initiative

rdf:langString Southeast European Cooperative Initiative

rdf:langString The Southeast European Cooperative Initiative (SECI) is a multilateral regional initiative that has been initiated by the European Union, the United States of America and the countries of Southeast Europe within the framework of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) as a support to the implementation of the Dayton Accords in December 1996 at the inaugural session at Geneva on the basis of Final Points of Common EU-USA Understanding. Its member states include Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Moldova, North Macedonia, Romania, Slovenia, Serbia, Turkey and Montenegro. SECI’s observer states are Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Canada, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Kosovo, Ukraine, United Kingdom and the United States of America as well as its observer International Organizations are the International Organization for Migration (IOM), European Institute for Law Enforcement Cooperation, renamed (EULEC), International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) and the (UNMIK). SECI‘s purpose is to develop a sustainable economic strategy in and for the region and to focus on trans-border cooperation programs and projects in the fields of development of infrastructure, trade, traffic, security, energy, environment and the private sector. Providing regional peace and stability among the countries of Southeastern Europe through cooperative activities, the further integration of its member states into the European Union shall be facilitated through the support of main international organizations and observer states. The initiative has provided regional stability and peace since its founding in 1996. In 1999, SECI, together with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) under the then Chairman-in-Office, Norwegian Foreign Minister Knut Vollebaek, co-founded the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe, renamed Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), owned and run by countries mainly in Southeast Europe, aiming at strengthening peace, democracy and the economy in the region to serve the regional cooperation and European and Euro-Atlantic integration of South East Europe in order to spark development in the region to the benefit of its people. The same year, SECI founded the SECI Bucharest Center for Combating Transborder Crime and Corruption, later renamed , which is concentrating on the cooperation to prevent and combat trans-border crime. The countries that signed and ratified the SECI agreement were Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Slovenia, Serbia and Turkey. The SECI headquarters are located within the Hofburg Palace in Vienna.