CEI Activities for Ukraine

WE STAND WITH UKRAINE!

On th first day of the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine (24 February 2022), the CEI Secretary General issued a statement to condemn it. He expressed the CEI’s solidarity with Ukraine and its people and support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country. On 1 March 2022, the CEI-Executive Secretariat (CEI-ES) noted with great regret the severe hampering of the CEI's mission due to Russian aggression against Ukraine. This particularly affected the promotion of good-neighbourly relations and multifaceted cooperation between its Member States, aimed at safeguarding peace, ensuring stability, and pursuing prosperity in the region.
The CEI-ES emphasised that effective political dialogue and good multilateral diplomacy, coupled with common sense, must be pursued to urgently cease military activities. Standing with Ukraine, it immediately implemented appropriate measures demonstrating the advantages of regional cooperation and solidarity.Driven by the search for solidarity, stemming from its mission and strategic objectives, the CEI and the CEI-Executive Secretariat (CEI-ES) reacted immediately both by condemning the Russian aggression against Ukraine through political statements and by providing concrete contributions to the urgent needs of the people of Ukraine;

IMMEDIATE ACTIONS CARRIED OUT IN 2022

Statement by the Secretary General on the Russian aggression on Ukraine

On the first day of the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine (24 February 2022), the CEI Secretary General issued a statement to condemn it. He expressed the CEI’s solidarity with Ukraine and its people and support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country.

CEI-Executive Secretariat stands with Ukraine

On 1 March 2022, the CEI-Executive Secretariat (CEI-ES) through a communication published on the Website noted with great regret the severe hampering of the CEI's mission due to Russian aggression against Ukraine. This particularly affected the promotion of good-neighbourly relations and multifaceted cooperation between its Member States, aimed at safeguarding peace, ensuring stability, and pursuing prosperity in the region. The CEI-ES emphasised that effective political dialogue and good multilateral diplomacy, coupled with common sense, must be pursued to urgently cease military activities. Standing with Ukraine, it immediately implemented appropriate measures demonstrating the advantages of regional cooperation and solidarity.

Humanitarian contribution through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

On 25 March, in response to the extremely dire and worrying humanitarian emergency in Ukraine, the CEI decided to provide support to the people affected by the conflict in Ukraine. A humanitarian contribution of 80,000 EUR was made to the ICRC from the reserves of the CEI Cooperation Fund (30,000 EUR), to which all Member States contribute, and from the budget of the CEI-Executive Secretariat (50,000 EUR). READ MORE

Suspension of Republic of Belarus from its rights of representation within CEI

On the basis of a proposal presented by the Bulgarian CEI Presidency, in cooperation with the CEI-ES, the CEI decided to suspend the Republic of Belarus of its rights of representation on 25 March, as a consequence of the country’s actions in support of the aggression against Ukraine. These represented violation of the obligations under Article 2 of the CEI Guidelines and Rules of Procedure, the principles of the UN Charter, of the Helsinki process/OSCE and the joint commitment of the Heads of Government and Foreign Ministers of the CEI, thus of the mission of the Organisation.

 Joint Statement by CEI Member States condemning Russian aggression against Ukraine

On 7 April, all CEI Member States strongly condemned the unjustifiable military aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, as a flagrant breach of international law. The CEI reconfirmed that it stood with Ukraine and its people and fully supported the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country. At the same time, the CEI expressed solidarity with the people of Ukraine through a donation to the ICRC, aimed at urgently delivering humanitarian support to the most affected population. Ukraine was also exempted from the obligation of paying its annual contribution (19,800 EUR) to the CEI Cooperation Fund for 2022.

Support to the set-up of a mobile emergency service

In July, in the context of the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, CEI support was provided for a mobile emergency service and medical equipment in Mikołajów (Ukraine) to deliver emergency treatment and primary care to adults and children affected by the conflict. The action was recommended by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the WHO in the Humanitarian Response Plan, Terre des Hommes Italia, together with two partners: Polish Medical Mission and Red Cross Ukraine, supported by a formal request from the Governorate of Mikołajów. The CEI-ES contributed with 20,000 EUR from its budget. 

Aid for basic necessities in Kharkiv, Sumy and Poltava in Ukraine

In July, thanks to funds for international cooperation amounting to 73,400 EUR made available by the Friuli Venezia Giulia Autonomous Region and administered by the CEI-ES, the AVSI Foundation contributed to alleviating the humanitarian emergency in Ukraine. In particular, in collaboration with the NGO EMMAUS based in Kharkiv, AVSI used the funds to purchase basic necessities and distributed them to at least 400 beneficiaries in the territories of Kharkiv, Sumy and Poltava. 

Support to the Network of Ukrainian Educational Hubs in several CEI countries

Since the beginning, when the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine submitted a request for support, the CEI has welcomed the mission of the project “Creation of a network of Ukrainian Educational Hubs” that is providing assistance to Ukraine affected by a huge emergency due to the war. A contribution from the CEI Cooperation Fund was approved for the launching of the Educational Hub in Poland (July 2022), a CEI member country with a great number of Ukrainian refugees. The project, promoted by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, the Institute for the Modernization of the Content of Education and the Association of Innovative and Digital Education, is meant to assist students in maintaining continuity with their education in line with the Ukrainian system and offers various online and offline training opportunities to young people and adults in areas such as languages, soft skills, information technology, legal issues, career guidance as well as cultural integration initiatives. The CEI-ES contributed with 15,000 EUR from the Cooperation Fund.

READ ALSO:

• CEI-supported Ukrainian Education Hub in Poland expands its services thanks to UNICEF project
• Support programme for Ukrainian refugees surpasses expectations in CEI countries

UN Resolution on the cooperation between the UN and CEI

On 21 November 2022 the UN General Assembly, adopted the Resolution on Cooperation between the United Nations and the Central European Initiative, which among other things draws the attention of the international community to the serious consequences caused by the aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine for the country and the region. The document also acknowledges the political support and concrete assistance by the Initiative to Ukraine and its people. READ MORE

ACTIONS CARRIED OUT FROM 2023 ONWARDS

Since 2023, at the Ministerial Meetings in Chisinau (2023) and Tirana (2024), CEI Member States reaffirmed their strong condemnation of Russia’s war of aggression and expressed unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and people. These positions were officially recorded in the Joint Statements adopted on both occasions (Joint Statement 2023, Joint Statement 2024). This commitment is reflected in the CEI Plan of Action 2024–2026, where addressing the consequences of the war is listed as a top political priority. The CEI has also voiced this support at the international level, notably at the UN General Assembly, where the 2024 Resolution on UN–CEI cooperation confirmed the shared position of all Member States.

On the operational side, the CEI has dedicated a specific section in its Cooperation Fund Calls for Proposals to Ukraine-focused projects. Since 2023, the activities reached a total amount of €209,116.32. Among these are initiatives to strengthen the Network of Ukrainian Educational Hubs in countries such as Poland, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary. These hubs help refugees gain new skills, improve their job prospects, and foster inclusion in their host communities. In October 2023, two direct actions were approved: a CEI contribution of €26,000 was used to purchase firefighting equipment for Novoyavorivsk City Council, and a planned contribution for shelter documentation in Kherson region was eventually reverted to the Fund after implementation with own resources. READ MORE

The CEI Fund at the EBRD also contributed to two key activities: supporting Ukrenergo to ensure stable energy supply across Ukraine, and improving public transport in the city of Ternopil to serve internally displaced people and other vulnerable groups. In the CEI region, a collaboration with the AVSI Foundation in Friuli Venezia Giulia is helping Ukrainian refugees enter the job market through personalised training and integration support, with €30,000 allocated to this effort.

Finally, the CEI has helped amplify the voices of women affected by the war. A joint appeal launched at a conference in Prague highlighted the challenges Ukrainian women face in their host countries. Another key result was the creation of a “Manifesto for Women’s Empowerment” drafted by participants from across the CEI region during the Equal Pay Day 2023 event.

Supported activities for Ukraine (2023)

Cooperation Fund:

• Training Ukrainian firefighters - saving Ukrainian lives  by Warminsko-Mazurskie Voivodeship (Poland)
• Ukrainian Education Hub in Poland 2023 by Pro Futuro Foundation (Poland)
• Enabling Ukrainian Geography Teachers in Higher Education: a Summer School to Create Virtual Field Trips for Inclusive Field Skill Training   by Stefan cel Mare University of Suceava (Romania)
• Institute of Supportive Communication - Effective methods and case studies of psychosocial support for displaced Ukrainians by Foundation Situational Center Open Doors (Bulgaria)
• Educational Support for Ukrainian refugees in CEI countries by Association of innovative and digital education (Ukraine)
• Health care professional’s Capacity Building Course on early detection and response to public health emergencies in the Central and South-Eastern Europe by Nicolae Testemitanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy (Moldova)
• The International Conference on Decentralized Support for Ukrainian Communities by ALDA (Italy)

Technical Cooperation Programme:

•  Ukrenergo Transmission Network Emergency Restoration - Gender and Inclusion

Know-how Exchange Programme: 

• CEI support to strengthen institutional capacity and performance of Ukrainian agri-food sector and rural development through application of EU policy tools and good practices by Institute of Agricultural and Food Economics National Research Institute (Poland)

Supported activities for Ukraine (2024)

Cooperation Fund:

• Social and labour integration of Ukrainian refugees in 4 CEI countries - education activities for Ukrainian refugees by Association of innovative and digital education (Ukraine)
• Capacity building in war-related eye care in Ukraine, Moldova and Romania by Association for the Study of Chronic Diseases (Moldova)

Technical Cooperation Programme:

• Ternopil Trolleybus Project - Project Implementation Unit

Know-how Exchange Programme:

• CEI for Ukraine’s Future. Empowering Ukrainian Municipalities through Polish Expertise in Fund Management and Project Practices for Pre-Accession Readiness of Ukraine by Leaders of Change Foundation (Poland)
• CEI support to strengthening the Parliaments of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia and Ukraine, in the context of the EU Accession by Chamber of Deputies (Italy)
• Bridge to Resilience by Foundation "Situational Center Open Doors" (Bulgaria)
• Resilience and Preservation: Security, Migration, and Cultural Heritage Protection in Ukraine  by University of Trieste (Italy)

Supported activities for Ukraine (2025)

Cooperation Fund: 

• Land-related conflict resolution strategies for sustainable rural development by Land Management Institute of National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine (Ukraine)
• Pre-URC 2025 Local Authorities and Civil Society Forum by ALDA Italy
• Rebuild Ukraine Ambassadors Lab  by Schwarzkopf Foundation Young Europe (European Youth Parliament)
• Memory and identity research lab by Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw (Poland)
• Promoting citizen involvement in circular economy and waste recycling in CEI countries by awareness raise, exchange of good practices and pilot activities by Public association Women in Sustainable Development of Moldova (Moldova)