In 1992, the Franco-German Youth Office (FGYO) concluded a trilateral agreement with the Federal Foreign Office and the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs to intensify youth exchanges with the countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). This commitment is linked to the enlargement of the European Union in 2004 and aims to support the European integration of these countries through youth exchanges.
Today, around 15 countries in the region participate in exchange programmes sponsored by the FGYO, including some countries in the EU's Eastern Partnership. The partner organisations are presented on the map below. Find out more about their areas of activity and thematic priorities.
Would you like to organise a trilateral exchange between France, Germany and countries in Central and Eastern Europe?
The FGYO team, and in particular the ‘Regions, Europe and Neighbourhood’ unit, will be happy to advise you: trilateral@ofaj.org
Our CEE regional advisors are also available to provide practical tips and further information:
- Paweł Piątkowski, Europa Direkt e. V. (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia): pp@europa-direkt.com
- Garance Thauvin, interkulturelles netzwerk e. V. (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Hungary, Moldova, Romania): g.thauvin@interkulturelles-netzwerk.de
Approximately every three years, a network meeting is held, attended by professionals involved in international youth exchange from France, Germany and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. The aim of these meetings is to get to know new institutions, promote the exchange of experiences between participants on good practices, share new ideas and develop sustainable projects. This allows existing partnerships to be intensified and new collaborations on specific topics to be initiated.
Examples of network meetings:
- 2024 in Chișinău, Moldova, in partnership with Gutta Club (Chișinău, Moldova), Peuple & Culture (Paris, France) and interkulturelles netzwerk e. V. (Neuruppin, Germany)
- 2024 in Leipzig, Germany, in partnership with VitaTiim (Narva, Estonia), Une Terre Culturelle (Marseille, France) and Europa Direkt e. V. (Dresden, Germany),
- 2026 in Tallinn, Estonia, in partnership with VitaTiim (Narva, Estonia), Une Terre Culturelle (Marseille, France) and Europa Direkt e. V. (Dresden, Germany)
Another important aspect of cooperation with the CEE region is the ‘Spirit of Weimar’, a symbol of close cooperation between France, Germany and Poland. Since the 1990s, exchange projects between these three countries have intensified. In 2025, the FGYO, together with the German-Polish Youth Office (GPYO), introduced a new label, ‘Youth for the Weimar Triangle’, that particularly highlights trilateral projects with Poland. Further information on the encounters awarded the label and on the Weimar Triangle can be found on this page.
