Key documents
Declaration on the Establishment of the Group of Friends of the Salzburg Forum from the Western Balkans
Historical Background
In 2006 Romania and Bulgaria became EU member states and joined the Salzburg Forum; Croatia was granted observer status in the Salzburg Forum. The Salzburg Forum member states were pleased about the successful development of their security partnership. Several countries such as Ukraine, Croatia, Moldova and the Western Balkan countries were aspiring to become involved in the activities of the Salzburg Forum. To give consideration to the stated and to intensify operational and political cooperation with third countries, an external dimension was defined. It was at the Ministerial Conference in Brdo in 2006 that the Salzburg Forum member states adopted a common external strategy.
Establishment of the Group of Friends
It was in 2007 on the basis of the common external strategy that the Salzburg Forum Member States established the Group of Friends of the Salzburg Forum as a platform for dialogue and cooperation between the Salzburg Forum countries and the Western Balkan countries.
Common goal
The common goal of the Salzburg Forum countries and their Friends is to enhance the level of security of the citizens.
The Salzburg Forum countries will…
actively support their Friends from the Western Balkans on their way to European integration in general and with the adoption and implementation of European standards and practices in the field of justice and home affairs in particular.
The Group of Friends will…
inform their partners from the Salzburg Forum on their activities within the framework of other fora for cooperation including the progress in the implementation of joint activities with the EU.