Romania takes over CEI presidency for 2026

Romania took over the rotating presidency of the Central European Initiative (CEI) for the year 2026, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) announced.

The event took place in the context of the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of CEI member states, organized by Serbia in its capacity as the current chair of the initiative, CE Report quotes AGERPRES.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Oana Țoiu, delivered a recorded address in which she emphasized Romania’s increased commitment to regional cooperation and presented the priorities of Romania’s CEI presidency mandate.

These include: supporting the European integration of candidate states, by maintaining CEI’s role as a bridge between EU member states and candidate countries; strengthening the economic and business dimension within the CEI area, including by boosting connectivity projects; capitalizing on the local dimension of CEI through the involvement of local authorities, communities, and citizens; maintaining focus on combating disinformation and strengthening resilience, given the significant impact hybrid threats can have on societal stability.

At the ministerial meeting in Belgrade, Romania was represented by the Secretary of State for Romania’s OECD accession process, economic cooperation, UN and Francophonie affairs, Luca Niculescu.

In his intervention, he praised the efforts made by Foreign Minister Marko Djuric and the Serbian presidency team throughout the current mandate to strengthen CEI’s role as a platform for dialogue and cooperation both among member states and between them and the EU.

Secretary of State Luca Niculescu highlighted the progress of Moldova, Ukraine, and Western Balkan partners in the EU accession process, stressing the need for a credible enlargement process based on the candidates’ own merits and anchored in reforms. The Romanian official condemned Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, a CEI member state, and reiterated Romania’s multidimensional support for Ukraine.

He welcomed the firm choice of the Republic of Moldova regarding EU membership, despite the significant challenges it faces daily — hybrid attacks and the effects of the war against Ukraine.

The event concluded with the adoption of a Joint Declaration, reaffirming CEI member states’ support for the EU enlargement process, support for Ukraine, and reconfirming CEI’s role as a regional cooperation platform in support of European integration and sustainable development of member states.