A Croatian summit of Balkan and European leaders began today in the Adriatic town of Dubrovnik despite a cancellation by its major star - Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, according to dpa. The two-day summit, the fifth in as many years, is to deal with the global challenges facing southeastern Europe. The annual meeting serves as a forum for dialogue among politicians and focusses on the integration of south-eastern Europe into European structures. Besides the hosts - President Ivo Josipovic and Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor - the premiers of France, Poland, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Albania, Montenegro and Kosovo are attending. Serbian president Boris Tadic was not invited to the gathering. Croatian media reported that the invitation was withheld because of the presence of Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci. Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia in February 2008, has been recognized by the United States and the majority of European Union countries. But Serbia bitterly opposes Kosovo's independence and has boycotted every major gathering in which Kosovo participates as a sovereign state.
