Secretary General Franco Dal Mas, paid an official visit to Bucharest on 10-11 December 2025, where he met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania, Oana-Silvia Țoiu, in view of Romania’s CEI Presidency in 2026 to be effective as of 1 January.
The gathering highlighted Romania’s presidency priorities. Minister Țoiu presented a results-oriented mandate centered on advancing the European integration of candidate countries through tailored actions and a strong communication strategy on the benefits of integration, as well as in support of Ukraine. Additional priorities include strengthening regional connectivity and the economic dimension, countering disinformation, and engaging local authorities and young people.
Dal Mas expressed his full support for Romania’s vision, commending its comprehensive and multidimensional approach to pursue its priorities. He agreed on the central importance of the EU accession process of the Western Balkans, Moldova and Ukraine. He also reported on his recent mission to Kyiv and his meeting with Minister Sybiha, which highlighted the urgency of securing the return of the 20,000 abducted children, as well as priorities in the energy, security and infrastructure sectors.
Among the issues discussed - particularly in the areas of connectivity and security - Dal Mas underlined the importance of positioning the CEI within broader global connectivity frameworks. Concrete initiatives in these fields include the Trieste–Ljubljana–Zagreb–Belgrade railway corridor, as a central backbone for mobility in the region, and the Falcone–Borsellino Programme, aimed at strengthening the rule of law in non-EU CEI Member States.
Looking ahead to the 30th anniversary of the CEI Executive Secretariat (Trieste, 17 March 2026), the Secretary General invited Minister Țoiu to take an active part in the institutional celebrations reflecting on the Organisation’s future challenges and opportunities.
The talks continued with Mihail Harbic, General Director, at the Department for European Bilateral Relations and Regional Cooperation to further define the steps to be taken for the full implementation of the activities under next year’s Presidency, also in cooperation with EU institutions in Brussels.
During his Romanian Mission, SG Dal Mas also had fruitful talks with Ambassador of Italy to Romania Laura Aghilarre.
For more info: arsova@cei.int
