BUCHAREST, Nov. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Central European Initiative (CEI) is seen as highly useful in strengthening cooperation among participating countries from within and outside the EU, said the final document adopted on Friday by the heads of government at the CEI Summit in Kishinev, capital of Moldova.

    The document reiterated the importance of the CEI in getting non-EU members closer to the accomplishment of their European ambitions, hailing the continuous progress made by countries in the region towards getting closer to the EU.

    CEI members also hailed the 2008-2009 Enlargement Strategy and Major Challenges, that reiterate the EU commitment towards the European perspective in the Western Balkans and affirms the continuation of the EU expansion process.

    The heads of government encouraged Western Balkan countries to consider the advance of the dialogue towards the liberalized visa regime, voicing appreciation for the progressively tighter relations between EU and Ukraine, as well as for the progress made by the Republic of Moldova in the implementation of the Plan of Action agreed upon with the EU.

    The one-day summit is considered the most important annual act of the CEI, which was established in 1989 as an intergovernmental forum for political, economic and cultural co-operation among its member states.

    The main aim of the organization is to help transition countries in Central Europe come closer to the EU.

    The CEI is composed of 18 member states: Albania, Austria, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine. At present, nine countries of the organization are EU members.