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 meeting brought together Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Ministers and other government representatives from Austria, Croatia, Czechia, Greece, Slovakia and Slovenia, as well as the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Western Balkans, to discuss the European Union enlargement process and the main strategic challenges facing the region. Hungary's Minister of Foreign Affairs also took part in the meeting for the first time.
During the second session, focusing on “Strategic Autonomy: Securing Food, Supply Chains and Connectivity. A European Challenge” Secretary General Dal Mas was among the keynote speakers, alongside Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani, FAO Deputy Director-General Maurizio Martina, and the European Coordinator for the Western Balkans–Eastern Mediterranean European Transport Corridor, Marian-Jean Marinescu.
In his remarks, Dal Mas highlighted the contribution that regional organisations such as the CEI could make to the European Union's enlargement process, stressing that successful integration could not rely on accession negotiations alone.
"EU enlargement is about much more than accession negotiations. Legislative alignment with the acquis is essential, but successful integration also requires trust, practical cooperation and lasting partnerships among countries. By connecting institutions, local communities, universities, businesses, public administrations and civil society, regional cooperation helps turn the European perspective into a tangible reality. This is the role the Central European Initiative has been playing for more than thirty years."
"The CEI will continue to place its experience and extensive network of cooperation at the service of the European Union's enlargement process. Supporting the accession path of the Western Balkans, Ukraine and Moldova means contributing to the reunification of the European continent through cooperation, dialogue and the creation of lasting partnerships among our countries", said Dal mas
The CEI's participation in the Villa Madama meeting forms part of its ongoing institutional dialogue with its Member States. Next week, Secretary General Dal Mas will meet with Hungary's Minister of Foreign Affairs to discuss the priorities of regional cooperation and the Organisation's forthcoming activities.
