From the Secretary General

The CEI is the oldest forum of regional cooperation and has established – in its more than 20 years of history – a strong and successful record in the region.

Building on this solid foundation, the CEI has the potential and the resources to enhance its role as a key player in Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe and in the macro-regions of Europe. We are committed to an enhanced partnership with the EU.

The EU strategies on macro-regions give a new impetus to regional cooperation in Europe, opening new promising avenues for partnership. The CEI is in tune with these new developments and keen to give its own contribution in areas where we have a comparative advantage. We are a bridge between the Baltic, the Danube, the Adriatic and the Black Sea region. Therefore, we will contribute to the implementation of the Danube Strategy whose targeted countries include almost all CEI Member States. We are also monitoring with great attention all EU policies and strategies concerning these regions. Our policy is to look for areas of mutual interest where we can offer an added value for all of our Member States and the European Commission.
 
A strong asset of our organisation is our successful partnership with the EBRD, a proof of our organisation’s ability to work in synergy with an important International organisation. Projects and activities supported with about 32.5 million EUR by the Italian government over a period of 18 years describe a story of impressive success: accompanying the transition processes in the CEI countries, the Fund has directed its efforts to those CEI members requiring stronger support in their reforms.
 
The Budva roadmap - adopted in June 2010 - continues to provide an excellent basis to streamline our activities and to enhance our role in the region. In 2011 our organisation is benefitting from the dynamic leadership, close cooperation and strong support of the Serbian Presidency.
 
On 10 June, Trieste hosted the annual Meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs for the first time. The conference chaired by Serbian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Vuk Jeremic, was very successful both in terms of attendance, visibility and results. The Ministers confirmed the CEI’s mission “regional cooperation for European integration” and its role as a bridge between the macro regions. They also pledged support to reach a cooperation agreement with the European Commission.
 
Gerhard Pfanzelter