Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 12 December (BelTA) – Belarus’ presidency in the Central European Initiative (CEI) has demonstrated the contribution of the Eastern component to the organization, Italy’s Ambassador to Belarus Stefano Bianchi said as he commented on the CEI Meeting of the Heads of Government in Minsk on 12 December, BelTA has learned.

“I would like to thank once again Prime Minister Andrei Kobyakov and Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makei, and their teams for Belarus’ successful presidency in the Central European Initiative. The Belarusian presidency has demonstrated the contribution of the Eastern dimension to the CEI,” the Ambassador said. He expressed gratitude to the Belarusian government for the fulfillment of its commitments with the CEI and the organization of today’s summit.

Ambassador Stefano Bianchi also wished every success to Croatia as it takes over the CEI presidency in 2018.

“Italy would like to see the role of the CEI increase and remains the main supporter of the CEI initiatives. Regional cooperation is the key activity of the organization, especially in such issues as compatibility and migration. We have discussed these matters today as well,” the diplomat said.

The main theme of the summit was the role of CEI countries in promoting compatibility and complementarity between the various integration processes in a greater Europe, strengthening pragmatic economic cooperation between different integration associations, joining the efforts in confronting new threats to the stability in the region.

Within the framework of its presidency in the CEI Minsk hosted a number of events, including a CEI ministerial meeting, a ministerial conference on science dedicated to the development of biotechnology and pharmaceutics, the CEI Parliamentary Assembly, a ministerial conference on mutual ties and compatibility in the CEI region, aligned with the new Silk Road, a meeting of national coordinators, and a working group on the CEI management.

The Central European Initiative was founded in 1989 to promote the development of sustainable ties between the states of Central, Western and Eastern Europe in politics, economy and culture, and also to prevent the emergence of new dividing lines in Europe. Today this regional association includes 18 countries: Austria, Albania, Belarus, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, Italy, Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine, Croatia, Montenegro, and the Czech Republic. Belarus joined the CEI in June 1996.