CEI Secretary General Franco Dal Mas participated today in the SEE Observatory Annual Forum, held in Trieste under the title Accelerating the integration of the Western Balkans as a strategic choice for the future of Europe.
Organised by the SEE Observatory of the Luigi Einaudi Foundation, the Forum brought together institutional representatives, diplomats and young people to discuss the European future of the Western Balkans and the need to maintain momentum in the EU integration process.
The high-level debate, witnessed the participation of Antonio Tajani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy, and Ervin Ibrahimović, Deputy Prime Minister for International Relations and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro.
In his remarks, Secretary General Dal Mas reaffirmed the CEI’s commitment to the European integration of the Western Balkans, stressing that this process went beyond enlargement and was part of the broader goal of completing the European project.
“The integration of the Western Balkans is not simply a matter of enlargement: it means reuniting Europe and reaffirming its founding values – individual, political and religious freedoms. This lies at the heart of the Central European Initiative’s commitment. Young people are central to this process: they are not the future, they are the present. It is today that we build Europe.”
The role of younger generations was a central feature of the Forum, with young participants presenting their ideas and proposals for Europe and contributing directly to the discussion with institutional representatives.
The event provided a further opportunity for the CEI to underline its longstanding commitment to supporting its non-EU Member States on their path towards European integration and to promoting regional cooperation as a concrete contribution to the reunifucation of Europe.
