Western Balkans have moved a step closer to a Regional School of Public Administration (RESPA) in Danilovgrad, Montenegro.

In the presence of the European Commission, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo, acting on behalf of Kosovo pursuant to the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244/99, started on 21 November the signature process of the international agreement which provides for the establishment of the school.

The future activities of the school will strengthen the administrative capacities of the parties involved and promote regional co-operation

A letter of intent concerning the establishment, in Montenegro, of the Regional School of Public Administration (ReSPA) was signed on 12 June 2008 in Castle Jable, Slovenia.

Representatives of all the countries of the region and of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo, acting on behalf of Kosovo, declared their intention to enhance preparations for the signature of an International Agreement on ReSPA, and afterwards for its ratification, acceptance or approval in accordance with the respective internal procedures, so that it could enter into force before the end of 2008.

ReSPA was created in May 2006 to promote regional cooperation in the field of public administration.

During phase 1 which started on 1 November 2006 and will last about two years, its work programme will consist of not only organising seminars for public administration professionals from across the Western Balkans region, but also to develop its own institutional and management set up with the objective of establishing the School in the Western Balkans Region at the beginning of Phase 2 (1 January 2009).

It is planned that the school will initiate its activities in its own facilities in Danilovgrad, Montenegro, in early 2009.