(ANSA) - ZAGABRIA, 4 DIC - Former Italian Parliamentary member Roberto Antonione is new CEI General Secretary, elected today in Zagreb, croatian prime minister Andrej Plenkovic announced during press conference at the end of CEI summit. In the meanwhile, CEI croatian presidency expired: since next January Italy will take the presidency. 

Ukraine: CEI, Croatia's premier condemns seizure of ships
Plenkovic: on migrants multilateral approach is essential
ZAGREB
(ANSA) - ZAGREB, DEC. 4 - In his opening speech at the Central European Initiative (CEI) summit today in Zagreb, Croatia's prime minister Andrej Plenkovic condemned the seizure of Ukrainian ships in the Kerch Strait, dscribing the Russian navy's action ''an unacceptable violation of international law''. ''We are very concerned over the situation in Ukraine and confirm our full support for its territorial integrity'', Plenkovic said. Croatia's premier is chairing the CEI summit along with the Secretary General of the organization Giovanni Caracciolo di Vietri. Seven premiers and other senior politicians from the eighteen CEI member states, including Ukraine, are attending the meeting, which marks the end of the Croatian Presidency of the CEI. Italy is also represented by minister for Regional Affairs and Autonomy Erika Stefani. Tensions between Russia and Ukraine started to rise again after the Russian fleet seized three Ukrainian navy ships crossing the Kerch Strait, between the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. Russia has rejected international calls to free the 24 sailors, three of whom are injured, claiming they have illegally crossed the new international border, traced after the annexation of Crimea. In terms of migration - crucial issue of the CEI Croatian Presidency, beside security - the Croatian premier then underlined how cohesion and collaboration between the individual EU member states and the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) is essential to tackle the issue. Croatia's premier also remarked that Croatia, which has been part of the Balkan migration route since 2015, did not build barriers on its borders. ''Instead, we chose to deploy 6,500 law enforcement officers to protect our borders, in order to prepare at one time Croatia for accession into the Schengen area'', he underlined. The Zagreb summit in Zagreb is attended by the prime ministers of Albania, Hungary, Macedonia, Romania and Slovakia, as well as ministers or ambassadors of the other 12 countries. From 1 January 2019, Italy will take the CEI presidency. (ANSA).
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(ANSA) - ZAGREB, DEC 3 - The annual summit of the Central European Initiative (CEI) is scheduled to begin in Zagreb this evening and will be attended by heads of government or high-level political representatives of the 18 member states that take part in the multilateral forum. The Croatian CEI presidency put on the agenda the issues of security, migration, EU enlargement and technological innovations. The arrival of the delegations in Zagreb and an informal dinner are scheduled for tonight, whereas the official summit will be held tomorrow. The meeting is the conclusion of Croatian Presidency of the CEI, which Italy will take over from January 1. The summit will be certainly attended by the heads of government of Albania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Macedonia, Romania and Slovakia, and of course Croatia's prime minister Andrej Plenkovic, who will give his opening ceremony speech tomorrow. Along with the CEI Secretary General Amb. Giovanni Caracciolo di Vietri, who will chair the summit with premier Plenkovic, the president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Suma Chakrabarti and the European Commissioner for enlargement Johannes Hahn will also attend the meeting in Zagreb. Out of the 18 countries that are members of the CEI, an intergovernmental forum for regional cooperation, 10 are EU members (Italy, Austria, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Poland, Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary), 5 are waiting to join the European Union (Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia) and 3 are beneficiaries of neighborhood policies (Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova). The CEI's core mission is to promote cohesion and assist member states, particularly those still outside the EU, supporting their efforts to achieve economic, political and social consolidation. Right after the political summit, an economic forum is also scheduled to take place in Zagreb, organized by the Croatian Chamber of Commerce (Hgk) and dedicated to innovation and technological competitiveness.