At the invitation of the President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia, France Cukjati, the Chairman of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, Predrag Markovic, attended, on Friday 10 June and Saturday 22 June 2005, in Bled, the Regional Meeting of Speakers of Parliaments of Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary, and Western Balkan countries.

Mr Markovic addressed his counterparts on the second day of the meeting, as part of the discussion on EU expansion and exchange of views on future co-operation between parliamentary speakers of Serbia and Montenegro, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Macedonia. He informed his European and regional counterparts with legislative activities of the Assembly, and expressed his conviction that a referendum on independence in Montenegro would not destabilise the region, as well as that Serbia would in no manner try to impose a settlement on Montenegro. Mr Markovic added that the Serbian Assembly would shortly adopt a Declaration condemning all crimes committed during the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia. Concluding his address, Mr Markovic invited his counterparts from EU member states to increase EU accession funding, and asked for support in the EU integration process.

A joint statement was adopted at the end of the two-day meeting, underlining the fact that the conference was an opportunity for constructive inter-parliamentary exchange of opinions. During the seminar, Mr Markovic also met speakers of parliaments of the Czech Republic and Slovakia.