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The CEI Cooperation Fund Call for Proposals 2024 has resulted in the approval of 48 projects for a total grant amount of EUR 495,144.16.

Secretary General Franco Dal Mas took part in the Conference on the Western Balkans and their Path to Europe held at the Senate of the Italian Republic in Rome on 14 January 2025.

In a recent interview, Senator Roberto Antonione, former CEI Secretary General reflected on his tenure and outlined the future prospects for the integration of the CEI Member States seeking to join the EU.

A recent study, commissioned by the Executive Secretariat of the Central European Initiative in cooperation with the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region and carried out by Politecnico Milano, highlights existing bottlenecks and estimates 260,000 passengers per year.
The Office for the CEI Fund at the EBRD has announced the results of its 2024 Call for Proposals under the CEI Know-how Exchange Programme (KEP). The initiative provides financial support to projects that align with the goals of the CEI, focusing on fostering regional cooperation, capacity-building, and sustainable development across Central and Southeastern Europe.

On 10 January, the CEI - Executive Secretariat kicked-off the year, with the new Secretary General, Franco Dal Mas, and the Italian National Coordinator, Ambassador, Sem Fabrizi.

The Association for the Study of Chronic Diseases (ASCD) in Moldova has made significant progress in its ongoing project, “Capacity Building in Eye War Trauma Management in Moldova, Ukraine, and Romania.” This initiative brings together leading experts and healthcare professionals to address the challenges of managing war-related eye injuries in a cross-border context.

On 6 December 2024 the UN General Assembly, recalling its resolution 66/111 of 9 December 2011 by which it granted observer status to the CEI, adopted the Resolution on Cooperation between the United Nations and the Central European Initiative by a recorded vote of 114 in favour, 10 against with 26 abstentions.

Upon invitation by the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Secretariat, the CEI-Executive Secretariat attended the Sixth Meeting of the SEE 2030 Strategy Monitoring Committee, held in Belgrade on 5 December 2024, and presented the CEI activities in relation to the UN 2030 Agenda and the SDGs.

A delegation from the CEI-Executive Secretariat, led by Secretary General, Roberto Antonione, visited Belgrade on 3 December 2024 for consultations on next year’s CEI Presidency under the Republic of Serbia. The Secretary General designate, Franco Dal Mas, was also present.

In Kragujevac, Serbia, the long-standing tradition of beekeeping is transforming into a model of sustainability and innovation through the efforts of Sanum per Fructus. Known for producing 100% natural honey, the company has expanded its reach beyond Serbia to markets across Europe and the world.

In the framework of an EU-funded project TREASURE - Testing novel environmental quality measures in and around euro-med ports - on 29-30 November, the CEI-Executive Secretariat (CEI-ES) attended the 2nd Mission for Natural Heritage Institutional Dialogue event, which

Around 200 participants from all CEI countries and beyond attended the XVIII South East Europe Media Forum (SEEMF), a CEI Flagship Event, held in Podgorica, Montenegro, on 27-28 November 2024 un

The 1st Regional Workshop on the UPSHIFT Programme was organised by the CEI in collaboration with UNICEF on 29 November 2024, gathering UNICEF experts and government representatives from CEI Member States at the Organisation's Headquarters in Trieste.

The Workshop Connecting the Adriatic-Ionian Region through Advanced Technology and Training for the Energy Transition in the Port Sector was held in Trieste on 28 November 2024 convening stakeholders from across the Adriatic-Ionian region to foster sustainability, connectivity, and competitiveness in the port sector.

On 27 November in Udine the CEI- Executive Secretariat took part in the  “ResiliEnhance Platform 2024 Meeting” gathering experts and stakeholders from Central and Eastern Europe at the International Centre for Mechanical Sciences (CISM) in Udine.

This year, the focus was on the role of investigative journalism in raising public awareness of critical issues in the environment, agriculture/food security, and health sectors, with special attention to stories advocating for transparency and good governance as regards practices, procedures, and funding.

The participants in the inaugural Conference on Science Diplomacy (SD), held on 20-21 November 2024 at the CEI Headquarters, included diplomats, academics, and science diplomacy practitioners from across Central, Eastern, and South-Eastern Europe.

On 20 November, 2024, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the CEI Member States convened in Tirana for their Annual Meeting. The gathering was held back to back with the last Committee of National Coordinators Meeting for 2024 under the Albanian Presidency.

Within the framework of the Albanian CEI Presidency and also of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP), the Ministry of Economy, Culture and Innovation organised in Tirana on 18 November 2024, the International Workshop “Sustainable Economic Growth in Central & South-East Europe and Albania - Discussion of Strategies for Promoting Sustainable Practices on the Path to European Integration”. 
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