Following the conclusions expressed by the Adriatic-Ionian Council/EUSAIR Ministerial meeting held via videoconference on May 27, on Thursday June 18 the political representatives of the AII/EUSAIR participating countries have solenmly adopted the Belgrade Declaration.

The Declaration  acknowledges the contribution of Forum AIC and the other two Fora of civil society (Universities and Cities) to the development of the EUSAIR Strategy.

In particular, we would like to point out these important paragraphs:

20. CONSIDER the AII traditional connecting role between governments, regional
actors and civil society FORA and networks to be an essential factor in the
implementation phase of the macro-regional mechanisms, and COMMIT to
further raise awareness and promote participation to EUSAIR activities among
civil society organisations and citizens in individual countries;
25. COMMEND the AII Permanent Secretariat for granting coordination among
participating countries in the framework of the AII activities and for its efforts
aimed at maintaining efficient links with the Adriatic and Ionian Fora of civil
society organisations, convinced that civil society can provide added value to the
EUSAIR delivering tangible and beneficial results;
26. TAKE NOTE with satisfaction that the Serbian Chamber of Commerce joined the
Forum of the Adriatic and Ionian Chambers of Commerce as an ordinary member,
within the framework of the 2019-2020 AII Serbian Chairmanship;
27. COMMEND the Serbian Chairmanship for calling the first ever meeting of the
Fora of Civil Society (Chambers of Commerce, Cities and Universities) plus the AII
Permanent Secretariat with the AII Serbian Chairmanship (Belgrade, 4 September
2019) and EMPHASISE that these meetings further demonstrated a growing
awareness of the role and the contribution that the Civil Society is increasingly
bringing – also through their involvement in the AII Round Tables – to the EUSAIR
Strategy process;
35. REGRET that the city of Belgrade, as the first capital city in the AI Region to join
the Forum of the Adriatic and Ionian Cities and Towns in 2019, could not extend
its famed hospitality on the occasion of the AIC/EUSAIR Ministerial meeting, the
5th EUSAIR Forum and the 3rd Annual Conference of the Forum of the Adriatic and
Ionian Chambers of Commerce, Cities and Universities, and WELCOME the
initiative of Serbia to host the 5th EUSAIR Forum in Belgrade before the end of 2020
as an occasion for EUSAIR stakeholders to meet in a wider cross-sectoral format;

The full text of the Belgrade Declaration is available here: BELGRADE DECLARATION.