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The Central European Initiative or CEI, is a political, economical, cultural and scientific international cooperative of at present 17 countries, founded in 1991/92 as a successor of the Pentagonale group.¹ It is a body of international cooperation whose strategic function is to contribute to the economic development of Central Europe, broaden opportunities for dialogue over the whole area and prepare non-EU members of the CEI for future membership of the Union.

Contents 1 Institutions and goals 2 Membership 3 Presidency 4 See also 5 External links 6 Notes

In accordance with the proposal of the Italian government, Trieste was chosen as the seat of the permanent CEI secretariat. The inaugural ceremony was held in the Sala Maggiore of the Chamber of Commerce on March 15, 1996.

The Chambers of Commerce of the CEI member states have launched a parallel cooperation programme, whose centre is also in Trieste. On June 18, 1994 the Trieste Chamber, with the collaboration of the Italian Union of Chambers of Commerce, hosted the first Conference of CEI Chamber Presidents and on April 19, 1995 held a conference on projects for reconstruction in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The most recent Conference of CEI Chamber Presidents, held in Warsaw on December 8, 1995, accepted the proposal of the Italian Union of Chambers of Commerce to make Trieste the seat of its permanent secretariat. It will work alongside the secretariat of the CEI governments.

The first programmes to be worked on concern economic information to serve companies in CEI countries, with telematic facilities, training in entrepreneurship and management and cooperation with the government-level Secretariat in implementing reconstruction projects in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Founding members:

•  Austria
•  Czechoslovakia
  •  Czech Republic
  •  Slovakia
•  Hungary
•  Italy
•  Poland
•  Yugoslavia
  •  Bosnia and Herzegovina
  •  Croatia
  •  Republic of Macedonia
  •  Serbia
  •  Slovenia

Joined later:

•  Albania
•  Belarus
•  Bulgaria
•  Moldova
•  Montenegro (August 2, 2006)
•  Romania
•  Ukraine

On 24 November 2006 Bulgaria assumed the rotating CEI presidency from Albania.

• Central Europe, Southeastern Europe
• Alois Mock, Gyula Horn, Erhard Busek
• Stability Pact for Southeastern Europe (SP for SEE)
• Southeast European Cooperation Process (SEECP)
• Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA)
• Southeast European Cooperative Initiative (SECI)
• Black Sea Economic Co-operation (BSEC)

• website of the Central European Initiative
• website of Slovak Presidency

1. Pentagonale was the pentagon of five countries: Austria, Hungary, Italy, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia. It was created by the addition of Poland to the Alps-Adriatic Workgroup or Quadragonale. By extension, CEI was initially referred to as the Hexagonale because it had six members (Poland was added in 1991).