Upon invitation of the Austrian Ambassador in Rome, Amb. Christian Berlakovits, on 13 September, the Ambassadors of the CEI countries in Rome gathered for a working dinner with State Secretary Sen. Alfredo Mantica, Hon. Roberto Antonione - Head of the Italian Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the CEI, Amb. Mario Bova - Director General for European Countries and Amb. Guglielmo Ardizzone - Italian CEI National Coordinator.
CEI Secretary General, Amb. Gerhard Pfanzelter, also participated.
At the centre of discussions were the “Budva Recommendations”, adopted last June on the occasion of the annual meeting of the CEI Ministers of Foreign Affairs (15 June, Budva), and the future steps to be taken for their implementation. The Recommendations are the result of the CEI Group of International Experts, chaired by Hon. Antonione, indicating strategies for strengthening the CEI’s role as a leading actor of regional cooperation in Central, Eastern and South East Europe and for exploring avenues of closer cooperation with the European Union. Sen. Mantica reaffirmed that the CEI, as the oldest forum for regional cooperation operating in the region, could act as a bridge between the Baltic, Danube, Adriatic and Black Sea Regions. Hon. Antonione highlighted the success of the CEI in its 20-year history, the wealth of its experience and the strong role it could play as “a protagonist for EU decisions”. The CEI ambassadors highly appreciated the exchange of views and recommended that similar meetings should be held in Brussels, New York as well as other capitals of CEI Member States.