AII Committee of Senior Officials meets in Ohrid - 4 March 2026
On 4 March 2026, the meeting of the Committee of Senior Officials (CSO) of the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative (AII) took place in Ohrid, under the Chairmanship of North Macedonia, bringing together representatives of participating countries and the AII Permanent Secretariat.
The meeting provided an opportunity to review the progress of the Chairmanship’s programme and to exchange views on the main activities carried out in recent months in support of regional cooperation and the European integration of the Western Balkans. Among the initiatives highlighted were high-level discussions on migration governance and cooperation with regional organisations, as well as activities promoting academic mobility and youth engagement across the Adriatic-Ionian area.
Senior Officials were informed that the drafting process of the annual AII/EUSAIR Ministerial Declaration has started in view of the forthcoming Adriatic-Ionian Council. As in previous years, the document will reflect the “double-hat” nature of the governance of the Adriatic-Ionian region, ensuring coherence between the intergovernmental dimension of the AII and the macro-regional framework of the EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR).
Participants were also updated on the preparations for the XX Conference of the Presidents/Speakers of AII Parliaments, which will take place in Skopje on 23–24 April 2026. The Conference will focus on two main themes: promoting peace and stability through parliamentary diplomacy and strengthening regional connectivity, with particular attention to the development of Corridors VIII and X.
During the meeting, delegations also discussed the future order of AII Chairmanships, in light of recent developments within the EUSAIR framework, with the aim of maintaining coherence and alignment between the two governance systems.
Delegations were further informed about the current state of play regarding the request submitted by Cyprus to join the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative and EUSAIR.
The CSO confirmed the continued commitment of participating countries to strengthening political dialogue, regional connectivity and cooperation within the Adriatic-Ionian macro-region.
The minutes of the meeting will be circulated to delegations in due course.
On the margins of the CSO, the 26th Governing Board Meeting of the EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR) was also held in Ohrid on 4–5 March. On that occasion, Ambassador Giovanni Castellaneta, Secretary General of the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative, reported to the Governing Board on the main outcomes of the discussions held within the CSO framework.