“I ascertain with much satisfaction that the ambitious priorities and objectives established by the Moldovan Presidency of the Central European Initiative (CEI) have been achieved,” Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Stratan stated on Thursday, November 27, at opening the reunion of foreign ministers in Chisinau. The reunion anticipates the summit of the heads of CEI member states, that will take place on Friday, November 28. Among the most important events that took place during the Moldovan Presidency, Stratan has mentioned the CEI-EU consultations, the approval of about 100 projects of common interest by the National Coordinating Committee, reunions of ministers of transport, agriculture, tourism in Chisinau, and the round table of the ministers of economy, etc. “All efforts and activities offered the CEI countries the opportunity to increase their involvement in the regional processes and also contributed, of course, to the advance of the EU non-member states in the process of European integration,” Stratan said. Andrei Stratan said that the CEI is to make efforts targeted to strengthen its relationships with the EU, and to invite the European Commission to actively participate in the CEI reunions and to convene at least a reunion per year with the representatives of the European Commission and CEI national coordinators. Andrei Stratan also proposed an 20% increase of the cooperation fund. This proposal was made at the Sofia summit as well, and it would enable to provide the necessary conditions for the CEI to get a big impact in the operational activities within the CEI, as gradual increasing if this fund is approved the next 5 years.