Events

MINSK, 16 June (BelTA) – Belarus’ Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makei is expected to take part in the Annual Meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the CEI Member States, BelTA learnt from the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

On 16 June Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina will host the Annual Meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Member States of the Central European Initiative (CEI). Belarus will be represented at the meeting by Vladimir Makei. The agenda of the meeting will include issues related to cooperation in the CEI, including the migratory crisis, stronger connectivity in the transportation and energy sectors, and the role of the CEI in the European integration processes.

The Central European Initiative (CEI) was founded in 1989 as an organization to promote sustainable ties between the states of Central, Western and Eastern Europe in the policy, economy and culture and also to prevent the formation of new dividing lines in the European region. In the late 1990s the major goal of the CEI was to promote the European integration and rapprochement between the EU and other European states.

Today the organization has 18 member states, including Austria, Albania, Belarus, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, Italy, Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine, Croatia, Montenegro, and the Czech Republic.

The Republic of Belarus became the CEI member state in June 1996. Belarus views the organization as an efficient instrument to expand and strengthen regional cooperation through the implementation of joint projects in important areas, including efficient power industry, sustainable development, environment, science and technology.