Southeast Europe important region for US

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden here on Wednesday said the region of Southeast Europe has been very important to the United States in the last 25 years.

Biden said the regional initiative of the Brdo-Brijuni Process, which he was attending as chief guest, was doing a good job because it managed to bring regional leaders together in dialogue.

Before officially opening the summit, Biden met Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic and Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic separately, discussing with them the refugee crisis and global security after the Paris terror attacks.

He also met with European Council President Donald Tusk and Slovenian President Borut Pahor, a co-host of summit.

Biden is the highest U.S. official to visit Croatia since Barack Obama took office as president.

Vesna Pusic, Croatian foreign and European affairs minister, said on Wednesday the arrival of Biden for the summit signaled the return of the United States to the region.

The Brdo-Brijuni Process, launched by former Croatian President Ivo Josipovic and his Slovenian counterpart Borut Pahor in 2013, brings together leaders from former Yugoslav countries and Albania.

This year's summit was also attended by Austrian President Heinz Fischer.

Sources: XINHUA