SERBIA - MIGRATION, ASYLUM, REFUGEES REGIONL INITIATIVE - MARRI

MIGRATION, ASYLUM, REFUGEES REGIONL INITIATIVE - MARRI

The Stability Pact Migration, Asylum, Refugees Regional Initiative (MARRI) was formed in 2003 by merging the Migration and Asylum Initiative (MAI) and the Regional Return Initiative (RRI) – both established within the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe.

MARRI Member States are: Albania, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Macedonia and Serbia.

MARRI was set up in line with the basic guidelines of the concept of regional ownership. The main idea behind it was that the countries of the Western Balkans take over eventually the initiatives on regional cooperation. In this way the capabilities of the five countries of the Western Balkans to independently cooperate and harmonize their own policies will be put to the test, as well as their capacities to contribute to the development, stabilization and improvement of the situation in the region. Thus, the SEE countries have manifested their readiness to be included into complex European and Euro-Atlantic processes of integration in important fields such as justice and home affairs.

The Migration, Asylum, Refugees Regional Initiative operates through two mechanisms: the MARRI Regional Forum which provides political and general support to the activities of the Initiative and the MARI Regional Centre which puts into practice the MARRI cooperation and activities and supports the implementation of the decisions taken by the Forum.

The Regional Forum engaging ministers and high representatives responsible for the issues of migration, asylum, border management, visa regime and displaced persons, serves also for a better exchange of information, experiences and for making decisions of common interest of its Member States.

The Secretariat, i.e. the MARRI Regional Center was opened in Skopje on 18 November 2004 as a support to the MARRI Regional Forum. The representatives of the Western Balkans take part in the work of the Centre. On the occasion of the establishment of the MARRI Centre, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed in Skopje in early July 2004 on the basis of which the rights and responsibilities of the MARRI Forum Member Countries were transferred within the establishment and operation of the Centre. The Center will serve as a Liaison Office for all activities related to migration, asylum and refugees. All information on these issues will be collected and held in, the Centre. It will also serve as a link between the President of the MARRI Regional Forum and MARRI Member States.

Until 2007, the activities of the MARRI Centre were funded through donations. It is planned that MARRI Member States become fully responsible for covering the expenses of the Centre’s operation. Website of the MARRI Centre is: www.marri-rc.org

Contact person in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia is Ambassador Pero Jankovic, phone: +381 11 306 8229, e-mail: pero.jankovic@smip.sv.gov.yu

September 2007