On Monday December 15th, 2003, the 2nd Summit of the Executive Secretariat of the Network of Balkan Cities was held in Thessaloniki and was attended by:

• Mr. Stefan Sofianski, Lord Mayor of Sofia, President of the Network of Balkan Cities in 2002
• Mr. Risto Penov, Lord Mayor of Skopje, President of the Network of Balkan Cities for 2003
• Mr. Konstantinos Gaveras, President of the City Council of Piraeus, the Presiding City for 2004, and
• Mr. Vassilios Papageorgopoulos, Lord Mayor of Thessaloniki, the seat of the Executive Secretariat of the Network of Balkan Cities

The meeting took place following a relevant communiqué by the Mayor of Scopje, the President of the Network, that it would be impossible for the annual BALCINET 4th Mayors Summit to take place in Skopje. During the discussion, it was realised that there was a need to activate the Mayors – members of the Executive Secretariat and to ask for the activation of the Mayors of other Cities - Members of the BALCINET, so as to upgrade the operation of the BALCINET in order to attract the interest for participation, by implementing a series of initiatives.