Eleven Ministers for Foreign Affairs (Austria, Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Italy, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia), six Deputy Ministers (Belarus, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Ukraine), as well as the Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the OSCE attended the annual meeting of Ministers for Foreign Affairs of CEI Member States, held in Vienna on 3 June 2014.
The gathering was organised by the Austrian Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs, in the framework of the 2014 Austrian CEI Presidency, in cooperation with the CEI Executive Secretariat and back to back with a special Conference on the European perspective of the Western Balkans.
The Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Kosovo*, who participated in the meeting as guest of the Presidency, expressed special interest in cooperating with the CEI.
The Ministers focused on the “New Challenges for the CEI”, as the oldest and largest regional organisation and inter-governmental forum, celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. In this context, the Ministers expressed appreciation for the important role of the CEI in promoting stability in the region, as well as prosperity and cohesion among its Member States. They emphasised that the CEI should continue reinforcing its motto “regional cooperation for European integration”, by further focusing on supporting its non-EU CEI members on their road to EU integration. They underlined the CEI's important role as a bridge between European (macro) regions and its growing role as EU project implementation agency.
“The unique working methodology of the CEI – a combination of multilateral diplomacy and project management – has made it a champion of regional cooperation, fully committed to providing significant, project-oriented contributions to strengthen the political, economic and social systems of its member countries”, stated CEI Secretary General, Giovanni Caracciolo di Vietri, during his introductory address.
The CEI SG also underlined the important results achieved throughout the CEI region, thanks to cooperation with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) through the CEI Fund at the EBRD, financed by Italy, as well as through the CEI Know-How Exchange Programme (KEP), funded by Italy and Austria, and the CEI Cooperation Fund to which all the Member Countries contribute.
Current pressing issues in the region were also addressed, in particular the Ukrainian crisis and the recent devastating floods in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia. The Ministers expressed deep concern about the events in Ukraine, underlining their support for territorial integrity.
“We are currently envisaging the creation of a twinning instrument (CEI Disaster Recovery Twinning Mechanism), as a concrete gesture of solidarity by the other fifteen CEI Member States”, the CEI Secretary General announced in relation to the recent devastating floods in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Croatia.
The participants welcomed the efforts and progress of Montenegro, Serbia, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo* on their road to EU integration. The Ministers also stressed the importance of the Eastern Partnership and welcomed the progress of cooperation between the EU and its Eastern Partners, referring to the three countries belonging to the CEI, namely Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine.
The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding with the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), and the presentation of the results of the High Level Reflection Group of Energy Community were also amongst the highlights of this year’s CEI Foreign Affairs Ministers meeting.
The Ministers welcomed the forthcoming Macedonian CEI Presidency, programmed for 2015. During the meeting participants were informed that the official Document outlining 25 years of CEI achievements would be published on the occasion of the CEI Summit on 24 November 2014.
At the end of the meeting the Ministers adopted a Communiqué.
* This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.
Family photo
The gathering was organised by the Austrian Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs, in the framework of the 2014 Austrian CEI Presidency, in cooperation with the CEI Executive Secretariat and back to back with a special Conference on the European perspective of the Western Balkans.
The Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Kosovo*, who participated in the meeting as guest of the Presidency, expressed special interest in cooperating with the CEI.
The Ministers focused on the “New Challenges for the CEI”, as the oldest and largest regional organisation and inter-governmental forum, celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. In this context, the Ministers expressed appreciation for the important role of the CEI in promoting stability in the region, as well as prosperity and cohesion among its Member States. They emphasised that the CEI should continue reinforcing its motto “regional cooperation for European integration”, by further focusing on supporting its non-EU CEI members on their road to EU integration. They underlined the CEI's important role as a bridge between European (macro) regions and its growing role as EU project implementation agency.
“The unique working methodology of the CEI – a combination of multilateral diplomacy and project management – has made it a champion of regional cooperation, fully committed to providing significant, project-oriented contributions to strengthen the political, economic and social systems of its member countries”, stated CEI Secretary General, Giovanni Caracciolo di Vietri, during his introductory address.
The CEI SG also underlined the important results achieved throughout the CEI region, thanks to cooperation with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) through the CEI Fund at the EBRD, financed by Italy, as well as through the CEI Know-How Exchange Programme (KEP), funded by Italy and Austria, and the CEI Cooperation Fund to which all the Member Countries contribute.
Current pressing issues in the region were also addressed, in particular the Ukrainian crisis and the recent devastating floods in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia. The Ministers expressed deep concern about the events in Ukraine, underlining their support for territorial integrity.
“We are currently envisaging the creation of a twinning instrument (CEI Disaster Recovery Twinning Mechanism), as a concrete gesture of solidarity by the other fifteen CEI Member States”, the CEI Secretary General announced in relation to the recent devastating floods in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Croatia.
The participants welcomed the efforts and progress of Montenegro, Serbia, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo* on their road to EU integration. The Ministers also stressed the importance of the Eastern Partnership and welcomed the progress of cooperation between the EU and its Eastern Partners, referring to the three countries belonging to the CEI, namely Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine.
The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding with the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), and the presentation of the results of the High Level Reflection Group of Energy Community were also amongst the highlights of this year’s CEI Foreign Affairs Ministers meeting.
The Ministers welcomed the forthcoming Macedonian CEI Presidency, programmed for 2015. During the meeting participants were informed that the official Document outlining 25 years of CEI achievements would be published on the occasion of the CEI Summit on 24 November 2014.
At the end of the meeting the Ministers adopted a Communiqué.
- Speech by Austrian Federal Minister for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs available here
- Speech by CEI Secretary General Available here
* This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.
Family photo