The third meeting of SEECP Speakers of Parliament in Tirana on 5 March 2002 was hosted by the Albanian Speaker, Namik Dokle. Participants included the Speakers from Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece, FYR of Macedonia and the Deputy Speaker from Romania, Turkey and Yugoslavia.
The session issued a declaration that supported respect of territorial integrity, condemned terrorism, welcomed the establishment of the new Kosovo Parliament, encouraged all national parliaments to set up specialised forums on security and stability issues and suggested the possibility of establishing a regional Parliamentary Assembly.
The Speakers reaffirmed their support for the Stability Pact and particularly backed Pact activities in the areas of trade liberalisation, regional infrastructure and creating sustainable solutions for displaced persons. Representing the Pact, Deputy Special Co-ordinator Donald Kursch praised this concrete example of an ongoing regional process, outlined the Stability Pact's priorities in the months ahead and asked parliamentarians to give particular attention to completing the network of bilateral free trade agreements and supporting efforts to increase investment.
The development of the SEECP Speakers of Parliament process demonstrates the gradual emergence of indigenous institutions that can produce a regional voice on issues of common concern. Yugoslavia, as incoming SEECP President, offered to host the group's next meeting in Belgrade in 2003.