Central European Initiative - CEI

The origin of the Central European Initiative lies in the creation of the Quadragonale or Quadrangular which was established by Italy, Austria, Hungary and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY) in Budapest on 11 November 1989 (two days after the fall of the Berlin Wall). The Initiative had a double objective. From the political point of view it wanted to give a clear sign of overcoming the division in blocks, that had existed for so long in Europe, by re-establishing cooperation links, in sub-regional context, among countries of different political orientation and of different socio-economic structures (Italy, member of NATO and EEC; Hungary, member of the Warsaw Pact; Austria, a neutral country; and the SFRY, a non-aligned country).