On 11 December 2025, as part of his official visit to Bucharest, in view of Romania’s forthcoming CEI Presidency in 2026, Secretary General Franco Dal Mas met at the Romanian Parliament with MP Rozália-Ibolya Biró, Chair of the Committee for Foreign Affairs of the Chamber of Deputies and Head of the Romanian Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the CEI Parliamentary Dimension.
In this setting, MP Biró underlined the importance of maintaining strong parliamentary support for candidate countries in the European integration process. She also highlighted the relevance of youth engagement and the local dimension, noting that a closer involvement of young people and local authorities was essential to ensure that integration process delivered tangible benefits for citizens across the region.
During the exchange, Dal Mas underlined that cooperation among Parliaments represented one of the pillars of the Organisation. He highlighted the demanding agenda facing the CEI, with a strong focus on the European integration of candidate countries, notably the Western Balkans, Moldova and Ukraine. He also referred to his recent visit to Kyiv and the meeting with Ukraine’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Andrii Sybiha, who expressed deep appreciation for the CEI’s steadfast political and practical support to his country.
Both sides agreed on the need to establish a more continuous and coordinated inter-parliamentary dialogue, including online meetings, to ensure sustained cooperation beyond formal annual meetings. The involvement of the European Parliament was also suggested. Dal Mas expressed full agreement with this approach, confirming the Secretariat’s readiness to support enhanced parliamentary engagement, during the Romanian CEI Presidency in 2026.
Dal Mas also recalled that 2026 will mark the 30th anniversary of the CEI Executive Secretariat in Trieste, envisaging also the participation of the Parliamentary Dimension, and invited MP Birò to take an active part in the institutional celebrations.
For more info: fabro@cei.int
