Officials from 18 central and southeastern European countries met on Wednesday in Albania's capital city of Tirana to build economic alliances to enhance trade ties in the region.

Around 900 officials and business leaders took part in the two-day meeting of the Central European Initiative (CEI), which was set up 17 years ago to bring the countries in this region closer to the European Union (EU).

"The event will focus on regional cooperation in reforms and investments, with particular attention to infrastructure, finance, regional integration and trade promotion," a statement said.

The meeting brought together participants from Albania, which holds the organization's annual rotating presidency, Austria, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine.

Seven countries in the group are EU member states. Bulgaria and Romania are to join the bloc next year, while western Balkan countries are on the waiting list.

Source: Xinhua