(ANSA) - SPLIT - The ministries of science from the Western Balkan countries (Wbc) adopted the Regional Action Plan for 2014, defining specific activities for implementation of the Western Balkans Regional Research and Development (R&D) Strategy for Innovation, adopted in Croatia last October.

The representatives of the science ministries of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia participated at the event organized in Split by the Regional Cooperation Council (Rcc) and the Croatian science ministry.

The activities outlined in the Action Plan include the organisation of the Regional Scientific Forum, aiming to boost science-industry collaboration and technology transfer.

"Regional action plan will play a fundamental role in placing key South East Europe 2020 Strategy actions at the heart of national sectoral policies," said Mladen Dragašević, Regional Cooperation Council Secretariat's Senior Expert on Smart Growth, Research and innovation are at the heart of the Rcc's See 2020 strategy (adopted last November in Sarajevo), as drivers of economic growth, and creators of employment opportunities.

(ANSA).