Brussels, 28/05/2002 (Agence Europe) - During a conference in Vienna on 27 May the riparian countries of the Danube river made a commitment to strengthen the Danube Co-operation process. This process was initiated by Commissioner Chris Patten and special Co-ordinator and Erhard Busek of the Stability Pact in south-east Europe, which brings together Germany, Austria, Yugoslavia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine and Moldavia.
These countries will deepen their co-operation in: the economy (with particular attention on transport, particularly the Pan-European Transport Corridor), navigation, the environment, tourism, culture and sub-regional projects. This co-operation will be put into place via the framework of priorities established in the Stability Pact for south-eastern Europe and will avoid duplicating other existing forms of co-operation. The next conference of this nature will be held in two years time between Foreign Affairs Ministers in Bucharest.