Moldovan deputy foreign minister participates in ministerial meeting of Central European Initiative

Chisinau, 22 June /MOLDPRES/ - Deputy Foreign and European Integration Minister Daniela Morari participated in a meeting of foreign ministers of the member states of the Central European Initiative (CEI), in Minsk, today. The event was organized by the chairmanship-in-office of Belarus, the Foreign and European Integration Ministry’s (MAEIE) information and media communication service has reported.   

The heads of the national delegations were received by Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko. At the meetings, the officials discussed priorities and results achieved during the chairmanship of Belarus within CEI, as well as aspects concerning the evolution of the bilateral relations.    

The meeting of the Central European Initiative gave a good occasion to exchange opinions on recent developments in the organization’s member states and practical ways of turning to good account CEI’s potential in strengthening the regional cooperation. Also, the agenda of talks included aspects regarding the settlement of the migration crisis and regional challenges it involves, as well as prospects for consolidating the cooperation in the fields of transport, trade, information technologies and connectivity at regional level.   

In her speech, Daniela Morari expressed appreciation for the results achieved within CEI, strengthening the political and economic ties between the member states, boosting the cooperation between CEI and EU, as well as the complementariness in contributing to carrying out the European integration agenda nationally. At the same time, the deputy minister reconfirmed Moldova’s commitment for CEI’s ambitious agenda with regional impact and for the good of the citizens from the CEI member states.    

In the end, the participants in the meeting discussed a draft Action Plan of CEI for 2018-2020, approved the budget of the CEI Cooperation Fund and a decision on the taking over of CEI’s chairmanship for 2017 by Moldova, as well as a joint declaration which contains the conclusions of the ministerial meeting.    

The Central European Initiative (CEI) is the oldest and the biggest inter-governmental forum of regional cooperation in Europe, with a status of observer within the General Assembly of the United Nations Organization, which presently brings together 18 member states (ten EU members and eight non-EU members): Albania, Austria, Belarus, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Italy, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Serbia, Ukraine, Hungary. CEI is in a unique position to act as a linking bridge between macro-regions, such as the regions of the Baltic Sea, Danube, Adriatic Sea and Black Sea region. The principal mission is regional cooperation, the carrying out of which is made through the promotion of economic, cultural and scientific cooperation, based on the development and implementation of joint projects and transfer of know-how and good practices.