(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAY 8 - "The EBRD's CEI Fund is a critical instrument for converting political preferences into tangible outcomes. At this point, strengthening its operations entails tangible support for regional countries and contributions to international efforts, beginning with Ukraine, where resilience and reconstruction are a shared priority," said Franco Dal Mas, Secretary General of the Central European Initiative (CEI), during a visit to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development's headquarters in London. The meetings aimed to coordinate the CEI Fund's activities at the EBRD and explore collaboration opportunities in the Initiative's member countries, the Western Balkans, Ukraine, and Moldova. The Fund, established in 1992 and supported by Italy, is the Organization's primary operational instrument. With over €61.5 million in Italian contributions to date, it has established itself as an effective financial lever to support technical cooperation, know-how transfer, and the European integration process of non-EU CEI member countries, as well as to promote sustainable growth, good governance, and regional cooperation in Central and South-Eastern Europe. (ANSA).