Cetinje Parliamentary Forum is the autochthonous regional initiative of parliamentary cooperation of South East European countries on their way towards the EU, and an important form of encouragement and promotion of parliamentary dialogue between the countries of the region.
CPF was designed and launched by the Parliament of the Republic of Montenegro in cooperation with the Parliament of the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro in February 2004. CPF is the initiative that encourages and promotes parliamentary dialogue between the countries of the region. Recommendations of the EU’s Thessaloniki summit outlined the best path towards Euro-Atlantic integration through regional cooperation of the Western Balkans countries. The idea to institute CPF, as the broadest form of parliamentary cooperation, was born in order to establish parliamentary cooperation between the countries in the region. The Government of Montenegro, OSCE and the UK government financially supported this initiative. The aim of CPF is to promote cooperation, transfer knowledge and experience and strengthen relations in order to maintain continuity in terms of closer parliamentary cooperation and diplomacy in the region, to improve bilateral and multilateral relations, as well as bring together representatives of legislative institutions in the countries that share common historical and cultural heritage, and the European perspective. Through years of its existence CPF gathered over 500 MPs from the region and partner countries members of the European Union, who discussed in an open and straightforward the current issues in the region related to foreign policy, education, culture, economy, security, etc.
I summit of presidents and vice-presidents of the parliaments of the countries on their way towards the EU and the EU countries in the region was held on 9 February 2004. This was the initial meeting where representatives of the parliaments of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Greece, Croatia, Macedonia and Serbia supported the initiative to establish a regional framework for parliamentary cooperation. At the meeting, the representatives proposed to organize meetings of various parliamentary committees within CPF aimed at the exchange of experience and coordination of efforts in direct contact within the planned activities and projects, in order to help solve the existing problems. Essentially, this project would be managed by the Member States and the region and developed to comply with their demands as the basis for strengthening of integration processes in the region. The aim of the meeting was to affirm the principles and conditions that best contribute to the development of European values and implementation of common and European standards in all areas of life.
II meeting of chairs and members of committees for international relations, held on 13 and 14 September 2004, included issues related to the reinforcement of parliamentary cooperation and parliamentary diplomacy in the region.
III meeting of chairs and members of committees for security and defence, which was held from 28 through 30 November 2004, focused on issues of security in the region.
IV meeting of chairs and members of committees for economy took place within the fourth Cetinje Parliamentary Forum from 27 February to 1 March 2005. This meeting covered issues relating to regional economic issues.
V meeting of chairs and members of committees for education, culture and environment, held from 17 to 19 April 2005, within the fifth Cetinje Parliamentary Forum, included topics stemming from the Thessaloniki Declaration and other international documents related to regional cooperation in terms of culture, education and environment.
The summit of the presidents of the parliaments was organized from 29 and 31 March 2005 as the VI Cetinje Parliamentary Forum. The presidents of the parliaments discussed the issues related to the perspective of economic development in the region.
VII meeting of chairs and members of committees for security and defence, which was held within the seventh Cetinje Parliamentary Forum from 19 to 21 November 2007, dealt with the topic "Partnership for Peace and NATO membership perspective - factor of stability in the region".
The fourth COSAP conference, which was held on 27 March 2009 in Cetinje, was organized as the eighth Cetinje Parliamentary Forum (CPF).
IX Cetinje Parliamentary Forum and the meeting of the Central European Initiative -Parliamentary Dimension, entitled “The Parliament’s Role in Combating Corruption and Organised Crime“, were held from 25 and 27 April 2010 in Cetinje.
X Cetinje Parliamentary Forum, was held on the topic “Women, Peace and Security’’ dedicated to the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325, was held on 21 and 22 June 2010.
XI Cetinje Parliamentary Forum, was held on the topic “The Parliament’s Role in the System of Export and Import of Arms“ was held in hotel Splendid in Bečići on 8 November 2010.
XII Cetinje Parliamentary Forum on the topic ”Parliamentary Oversight of the Defence and Security Sector“ was held in Vladin dom in Cetinje on 12 May 2011.
XIII Cetinje Parliamentary Forum was held on the topic “Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development”, on Friday 3 February 2012, in Vladin dom in Cetinje.
XIV Cetinje Parliamentary Forum was held on the topic “The Western Balkans towards Euro-Atlantic Integration” was held on 16 October 2012.
Joint statement is adopted at the end of each CPF.
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