The Central European Initiative (CEI) is a regional intergovernmental forum with one central mission: working towards European integration and sustainable development through regional cooperation among its 17 Member States.It supports a united Europe with shared values embracing all countries, regions, peoples and citizens; and fosters the strengthening of capacities of its Member States towards good governance, rule of law and sustainable economic development for stability, social cohesion, environmental sustainability, security and prosperity.
The CEIoperatesas a platform for political dialogue through inter-governmental, parliamentary and economic dimensions, but also creates new opportunities for cooperation thanks to the transfer of innovative solutions and best practices and by building synergies and partnerships.
Regional cooperation for a Europe without borders remains our long-term commitment.
SEEMO is a long-standing partner of the CEI. Both organisations are regional and have a thorough knowledge of local issues. Therefore, their activities complement each other. SEEMO defends media freedom and promotes quality journalism, which are essential instruments of democracy. The CEI considers the promotion of freedom of expression in the media one of the key elements of its overall strategy.
The CEI cooperates with SEEMO in the framework of various projects and activities. In particular, the CEI is one of the main partners of the South East Europe Media Forum (SEEMF), an event offering a valuable platform for promoting professional contacts and discussions throughout the region in order to improve the quality of the media as pillars of democratic development.
Our fruitful cooperation has also led to the creation of the CEI SEEMO Award for Outstanding Merits in Investigative Journalism. Recipients are journalists who excel in objective reporting despite the difficult conditions under which they often have to operate. Over the years, many talented and often young journalists from the CEI region have received this recognition which has actually contributed to supporting and encouraging their work.
We are proud to be a partner of SEEMO for its major commitment to protecting and enhancing press freedom.
Roberto Antonione
Secretary General
Central European Initiative (CEI)