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On 9 September, ANSA, Italy’s News Agency, organised the Conference “The Balkans Meet in Trieste” under the CEI patronage.

On 9 September 2026, Albania’s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Ferit Hoxha, visited the CEI - Executive Secretariat in Trieste today, where he was welcomed by Secretary General Franco Dal Mas.

The BIOSTARS project is launching the BIOSTARS Youth Innovators Call, a new initiative aimed at identifying and supporting young people with innovative ideas and early-stage projects capable of contributing to more sustainable, resilient and dynamic rural territories across the Mediterranean.

On 3–4 September 2026, the LINK-AGE Project, co-financed by the Interreg Central Europe Programme, officially launched its activities with a Kick-off Meeting held in Treviso, Italy.

On 31 August 2026 Secretary General Franco Dal Mas attended the 21st edition of the Bled Strategic Forum (BSF) in Slovenia, one of the leading international platforms for political and strategic dialogue in Central and South-Eastern Europe.
On 27–30 August 2026, over one hundred young professionals, researchers and public officials from across the CEI cooperation area gathered in Kranjska Gora and Bled, Slovenia, at the Young Bled Strategic Forum (Young BSF) to discuss democracy, disinformation and the future of the Euro-Atlantic order.
The Office for the CEI Fund at the EBRD has announced the approval of eight Technical Cooperation (TC) projects, financed by Italy through its 2026 contribution to the Fund, for a total value of EUR 2,155,000.

On 24 August 2026, Marko Čadež, President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia, visited the CEI - Executive Secretariat where he met Secretary General Franco Dal Mas.

The first in-country mission under the Falcone-Borsellino Programme for Central and South-Eastern Europe was held in Podgorica, marking the launch of the Programme's operational activities following its official presentation at the CEI-Executive Secretariat in Trieste in June 2026.

The Horizon Europe project STRONGBIONET (Strengthening and Connecting Bioeconomy Networks) has reecently officially launched with a kick-off meeting held in Seville, Spain, bringing together 19 partner organisations from 14 European countries.

The UA NEXT project: Training Co-creators of Unity of Ukrainians in Bulgaria concluded on 16 July 2026 with a certificate award ceremony at the Embassy of Ukraine in Sofia.

During his mission to Budapest on 16 July 2026, Secretary General Franco Dal Mas, accompanied by Deputy Secretary General Zsuzsanna Király, met with MP Lovkó Csaba - Tisza, Chair of the Hungarian Delegation to the CEI Parliamentary Dimension as well as with the other members of the delegation at the Hungarian Parliament to discuss the role of parliamentary diplomacy in advancing regional cooperation, connectivity and European integration.
Strengthening regional cooperation as a driver of European integration, supporting the EU accession path of the Western Balkans, Ukraine and Moldova, and promoting closer cooperation in justice, security and connectivity were at the heart of the meeting between CEI Secretary General Franco Dal Mas and Hungary's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Orbán in Budapest on 16 July 2026. The visit followed the discussions held on 10 July in Rome during the Friends of the Western Balkans Ministerial Meeting, further reinforcing the shared commitment to the reunification of Europe through regional cooperation.

On 13 July 2026  The CEI, under the Romanian CEI Presidency and in cooperation with the CEI-Executive Secretariat, organised the side event "Sustainable Infrastructure in the CEI Region: Regional Cooperation as a Driver for SDG Implementation" at the 2026 United Nations High-level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Developme

On 10 July Secretary General Franco Dal Mas, participated in the meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Friends of the Western Balkans group, hosted at “Villa Madama” in Rome by Italy's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani.

The CEI-Executive Secretariat (CEI-ES), Lead Partner of the Horizon Europe project RIBES – Regional Inclusive Biobased Entrepreneurship Solutions, gathered project partners in Thessaloniki, Greece, on 30 June–1 July 2026 for the project's 6th General Assembly and a public workshop on inclusive circular bioeconomy.

On 24–25 June 2026, the 21st International DisCo Conference took place at Microsoft, Prague, under the theme “Future-Ready Skills: Cultivating Digital Fluency and Opportunity for Youth, Women, and Displaced Communities.” The conference brought together participants from fifteen countries, with a strong representation from CEI Member States.

On 22 June 2026, the CEI’s 2025-2026 co-chairmanship of the EU Science Diplomacy Alliance, jointly held with the Department of Political and Social Sciences of the University of Trieste, concluded at the Alliance’s General Assembly meeting.

On 25 and 26 June 2026, the Executive-Secretariat participated in the 50th anniversary celebrations of the RAMOGE Agreement as an official obse

On 25 June 2026, Secretary General Franco Dal Mas took part in the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2026 (URC 2026) in Gdańsk, Poland, the leading international conference dedicated to Ukraine's reconstruction, organised by the Governments of Ukraine and Poland.

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