The First Conference of Speakers of Parliament held in Athens on 15-16 October 1997 continued the common efforts for fostering regional cooperation. Parliamentary cooperation became multilateral and acquired a much more distinctive institutional shape as part of the general process of cooperation in South East Europe. The process of cooperation was given a clear institutional form with the adoption of the Bucharest Charter in 2000 and the Skopje Declaration in 2001.

The main goals of inter-parliamentary cooperation as well as its political formats were further developed in the Memorandum of Understanding for Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation in SEE signed in 2008 in Sofia. 

The main objectives of interparliamentary cooperation in South East Europe are to:

2.1. Coordinate the efforts of national parliaments in support to the RCC and SEECP;

2.2. Promote further capacity building and institutional strengthening of South East Europe countries Parliaments;

2.3. Promote exchange of information, experience and best practices between national parliaments of the South East Europe countries at all levels (e.g. Speakers, Committees, parliamentary staff);

2.4. Further encourage and assist efforts by Parliaments of South East Europe countries towards harmonization of their legislation with the acquis communautaire and other EU and international standards;

2.5. Enhance links with the European Parliament and other international parliamentary organizations and initiatives, in priority those mentioned in Article 4.4;

2.6. Further reinforce democratic institutions in the South East Europe region;

2.7. Increase citizens’ involvement and ownership of the reform processes;

2.8. Strengthen the cooperation with the non-governmental sector due to its prominent role in raising the awareness for regional ownership and for the need of regional cooperation;

and

2.9 Encourage the public and private sectors to propose initiatives and activities related to their field of interest with regional dimension.