CEI is the abbreviation of Central European Initiative. This international cooperation of at present 17 countries was founded in 1991/92 as a successor of the Pentagonale group¹.

The cultural and scientific cooperative began with Austria, Italy, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia and Poland. Later more countries joined, reaching from Albania and Bulgaria up to Ukraine and Belarus.

See also

• Central Europe, Southeastern Europe
• Alois Mock, Gyula Horn, Erhard Busek

Notes

1. Pentagonale was the pentagon of five countries: Austria, Hungary, Italy, Poland and Yugoslavia. It was created by the addition of Poland to the Alps-Adriatic Workgroup or Quadragonale. By extension, CEI was initially referred to as the Hexagonale because it had six members (Czechoslovakia was added).