Greetings from SCEF

The Sasakawa Central Europe Fund, established in March 1991, was designed to encourage democratization and support a smooth transition to a market economy in Central European countries (Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary) that underwent massive upheaval in the wake of the cold war. Over the last eighteen years, the Fund has been active in many areas, including human exchange, promoting mutual understanding between Japan and Central Europe, and development of civil society.

However, in May 2004, all four countries successfully acceded to the European Union, and have since achieved political stability through construction of democratic systems and economic stability through functioning market economies. In light of these developments, the Sasakawa Central Europe Fund considers its founding objectives to have been met.

Accordingly, the Fund took the decision to cease its operations as of March 2009. To all those who so kindly gave their support and cooperation to the various activities conducted through the Sasakawa Central Europe Fund, we would like to express our profound gratitude and sincere thanks. All project proposals concerning Central Europe will from now on be reviewed under the Program Department at the Sasakawa Peace Foundation.