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International Symposium: 25 years of Central European Initiative and demise of Iron Curtain

The Embassy of Austria, under the Austrian CEI Presidency 2014, and the School of Slavonic and East European Studies (SSEES) of the University College London organised on 10 April 2014 in London an International Symposium under the title “25 Years of the Central European Initiative and 25 Years from the Fall of the Iron Curtain”.

On this occasion, prominent academics and former political decision makers had the chance to analyse and discuss the fundamental changes in Central Europe since the fall of the Iron Curtain. Particular attention was paid to the role of the CEI in promoting regional cooperation in an area currently covering 18 countries from Trieste (Italy) to Kiev (Ukraine).
 
A special Round Table: ‘Perspectives for Regional Cooperation’ was held within the Symposium. Among the distinguished participants at the Round Table: Gianni De Michelis who was Minister for Foreign Affairs of Italy when the CEI was founded as “Quadragonale” in 1989 and Dimitrij Rupel who was Minister for Foreign Affairs of Slovenia during the Slovenian CEI Presidency 2004. Géza Jeszenszky former Minister for Foreign Affairs of Hungary and Mihai Răzvan Ungureanu former Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Romania also took part in the Round Table.

All the participants agreed on the outstanding role the CEI had played in the democratic transition of the countries of Central and South Eastern Europe in the nineties as well as in their European integration. They also highlighted the fact that the CEI would still have a lot to do regarding the further EU Enlargement, in particular with the countries of the Western Balkans, as well as in overcoming the economic crisis. In this context, the project-oriented approach of the CEI contributing to the strengthening of the political, economic and social systems of its Member State was praised.
 
The Symposium was closed by Ambassador Giovanni Caracciolo di Vietri, CEI Secretary General, who thanked the organisers and the participants for their valuable contributions.

For more information: arsova@cei.int


Photo (from left): Olaf Osica (Director of Centre for Eastern Studies), Mihai Răzvan Ungureanu, Géza Jeszenszky, Dimitrij Rupel and Gianni De Michelis

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