Tajani in Trieste for the 30th Anniversary of the CEI Secretariat and the IMEC Forum

Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani will be in Trieste tomorrow to participate in the Conference marking the 30th Anniversary of the Executive Secretariat of the Central European Initiative (CEI) and the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEC) Forum.

The 30th Anniversary Conference is organized by the CEI Secretariat, together with Italy and Romania, which holds the Presidency for 2026, in collaboration with the Istituto Affari Internazionali.

It will focus on the significance and prospects of this regional forum - created on an Italian initiative and currently comprising 17 Member States - and on the CEI's contribution to the challenges associated with the uncertain European geopolitical situation, ranging from EU enlargement to the Western Balkans, Ukraine, and Moldova, to support for Ukraine, and to the development of connectivity in the region.

The issues of connectivity and the redefinition of trade routes to attract investment and develop industrial flows linked to global value chains will also be central to the works of the Forum "IMEC, Indo-Mediterranean Corridor: Opportunities for Business." Within this framework, the Northern Adriatic and the Balkans region are particularly important as geographic and infrastructural bridges between the Mediterranean and Central Europe.

The goal is to connect three of the world's most dynamic economic regions and promote the potential reorganization of logistics and industrial chains between India, the Gulf, and Europe. Due to its history, geographic location, and infrastructural connections, Trieste is one of the most natural hubs of this network.

The IMEC has the potential to generate trade flows between India, the Middle East, and Europe worth €172 billion-of which €26 billion for Italy-strengthening the Mediterranean's role as a strategic area for trade, energy, and digital connectivity.

The two events in Trieste will be attended by Ministers, representatives from regional international organizations and civil society, as well as entrepreneurs, and members of Parliament. The Forum dedicated to the IMEC Corridor will be attended by over 300 delegates from Italian and international companies operating in the sectors of logistics, physical, energy, and digital infrastructure, manufacturing, and connectivity technologies. Their active participation will help outline operational prospects for IMEC and partnership opportunities, thus enabling the strategic vision of the IMEC Corridor to be turned into concrete initiatives for investment, industrial cooperation, and the development of value chains between India, the Middle East, and Europe.