The Central European Initiative or CEI, is a cultural and scientific international cooperative of at present 17 countries, founded in 1991/92 as a successor of the Pentagonale group¹. This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... A cooperative (also co-operative or co-op) is an association of persons who join together to carry on an economic activity of mutual benefit, in an egalitarian fashion. ... 1991 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1992 is a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

CEI began with Austria, Italy, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia and Poland. Later more countries joined, reaching from Albania and Bulgaria up to Ukraine and Belarus. Yugoslavia (Jugoslavija in all south Slavic languages) is a term used for three separate but successive political entities that existed during most of the 20th century on the Balkan Peninsula in Europe. ...

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 C.E.I. for future membership of the Union.

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

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

The most recent Conference of C.E.I. Chamber Presidents, held in Warsaw on December 8th 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 C.E.I. governments. Location within Italy Trieste (Latin Tergeste, Italian Trieste, Slovenian and Croatian Trst, German and Friulian Triest) is a city in northeastern Italy, capital of Friuli-Venezia Giulia region and Trieste province, population 211,184 (2001). ...

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

See also

• Central Europe, Southeastern Europe
• Alois Mock, Gyula Horn, Erhard Busek

Historical lands and provinces in Central Europe Central Europe is the region lying between the variously and vaguely defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe. ... The Balkans is the historic and geographic name used to describe southeastern Europe (see the Definitions and boundaries section below). ... Dr. Alois Mock (born June 10, 1934) is a politician and member of the Christian-conservative Austria (German: Vizekanzler) from 1991 to 1995. ... Gyula Horn Gyula Horn (born in July 5, 1932, Budapest) is a Hungarian politician, having been Prime Minister of Hungary 1994-1998 leading the socialist-liberal coalition. ... Erhard Busek (born March 25, 1941 in Vienna, Austria) is a politician from the christian-conservative Peoples Party (ÖVP). ...

External links

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

Notes

1. Pentagonale was the pentagon of five countries: Austria, Hungary, Italy, Poland 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 (Czechoslovakia was added).