interviews by Nastassja Martin
Interviewee: Franco Dal Mas — President of the Central European Initiative (CEI/INCE)
Officials from the Central European Initiative (CEI) and Ukraine called for renewed efforts to accelerate Ukraine’s path toward membership in the European Union, while also supporting the accession of Western Balkan countries that remain outside the bloc.
The appeal came during a bilateral meeting in Trieste between CEI President Franco Dal Mas and Ihor Brusylo, Ukraine’s ambassador to Italy, who was making his first official visit to the city.
Ukraine is set to assume the rotating presidency of the CEI in 2027. During the discussions, Brusylo highlighted the strategic importance of the Port of Trieste as a gateway between Central and Eastern Europe and expressed concern about the resilience of the European Union in the face of disinformation campaigns and foreign funding directed at political movements in several member states.
Later in the day, the ambassador met with Massimiliano Fedriga, president of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region, to explore opportunities for closer cooperation between the northeastern Italian region and Ukrainian regional authorities in areas of mutual interest.
