Foreign ministers of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) gathered in New York on Wednesday on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly to mark the initiative’s 30th anniversary, the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) said.
The meeting, co-organised by the RCC and Bulgaria’s SEECP Chairmanship-in-Office, was co-chaired by RCC Secretary General Amer Kapetanovic and Bulgarian Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev. Discussions were held under the theme “30 Years of SEECP: Navigating the Future through Regional Stability, Security and Sustainable Transformation”.
Kapetanovic said SEECP had evolved over three decades into the region’s most representative political forum, with the RCC serving as its operational arm to bridge dialogue with delivery across three pillars – digitalisation and innovation, skills and people-centred policies, and the green transition.
“Thirty years on, the SEECP remains our most representative political platform, and the RCC is here to keep turning its spirit of cooperation into tangible results people can feel,” Kapetanovic said. “That means doubling down on practical delivery: smarter connectivity, stronger skills and greener growth, underpinned by trust and security. Our citizens want proof, not promises.”
Ministers praised the RCC’s work and pledged support for its new 2026–2028 strategy and work programme, focused on smart, skilled and sustainable development. They also discussed strengthening regional stability and security, speeding up green and digital transformation, and ensuring practical, people-centred results.
During his U.S. visit, Kapetanovic signed a Letter of Intent with Ivana Zivkovic, UN Assistant Secretary-General and UNDP Regional Director for Europe and the CIS, to frame cooperation in governance, sustainable development and resilience across South-East Europe. He also attended the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative foreign ministers’ meeting. Kapetanovic’s U.S. trip will continue in Washington, the RCC said.