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Bearing in mind the statutory aim of the Council of Europe, which is to achieve a greater unity between its members across the continent on the basis of their common commitment to pluralist democracy, respect for human rights and the rule of law; Convinced that regional co-operation between European countries can make an essential contribution to the building of a Greater Europe without dividing lines, encompassing all the countries on the continent, as advocated by the Committee of Ministers’ Budapest Declaration (7 May 1999); Recalling also the Declaration on transfrontier cooperation in Europe adopted by the Committee of Ministers on the occasion of the 40th Anniversary of the Council of Europe; We, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the member states of the Council of Europe, meeting in Vilnius for our 110th session and having discussed the achievements of a number of regional co-operation mechanisms; Stress the importance of regional co-operation as a factor for consolidating democratic stability in various parts of the European continent; Underline that, according to the particular situation of the countries involved and their common aims, regional co-operation helps to implement the Council of Europe’s founding principles of pluralist democracy, human rights and the rule of law at grass-roots level, by: -promoting the Council of Europe’s values and standards on a day-to-day basis; -strengthening the protection of national minorities while respecting the territorial integrity of states; -transforming borders into lines of contact thus facilitating exchanges between peoples; -promoting mutual understanding and cultural co-operation; -encouraging good neighbourly relations and mutual trust; -fostering social and economic development; Call for the regional dimension of the Council of Europe’s co-operation programmes to be reinforced in the regions regarded as priorities by the Organisation, building on the results already achieved in the Council’s areas of responsibility; Express our support for efforts to develop regional cooperation wherever a need for such cooperation exists; Encourage member states, in view of the experience acquired by regional co-operation mechanisms, to reinforce this co-operation, especially with regard to the following: -awareness-building in the spheres of human rights, protection of minorities, confidence-building measures and education; -freedom of the media; -more advanced integration processes and the resulting opportunities for all member states; -transborder activities by civil society to promote pluralist democracy; -transfrontier co-operation between local and regional authorities and the setting up and development of Euro-regions; -cross-border harmonisation of the conditions governing social and economic development, trade and investment, as well as improvements to infrastructure and conservation of the natural and cultural heritage; -freedom of movement and contacts between people, especially youth; -education and health protection; -justice and law enforcement, including the fight against organised crime and corruption, trafficking in human beings and illegal migration; -co-operation against terrorist activities while respecting human rights and fundamental freedoms; Agree to promote coherence between the activities of the Council of Europe and those of the various regional co-operation mechanisms, as well as the sharing of their experience and results; To that end, invite the Secretary General of the Council of Europe to convene a working meeting of representatives of regional co-operation mechanisms with representatives of the Council of Europe and other European institutions and organisations, in order to: -exchange and compare information on regional activities and projects; -identify common methods and aims for effective interaction; -discuss possible joint projects in specific areas; -lay down guidelines for the exchange of information and for co-operation between their secretariats or representatives in the planning and implementation of programmes; -gather information on the Council of Europe’s experience and achievements and contribute to ongoing or planned activities of relevance to them; -make proposals regarding future co-operation.