The Three Seas Initiative

The Three Seas Initiative summit has just concluded in Ljubljana, Slovenia

Mihai Pelin, 07.06.2019, 13:55

Slovenia hosted the latest summit of the Three Seas Initiative, a flexible political platform at presidential level, which brings together 12 countries stretching between the Baltic, the Black and the Adriatic Seas. The platform seeks to contribute to the economic development of the countries in the region, through infrastructure connectivity in three main fields — transport, energy and digital.

Romania was represented by President Klaus Iohannis, who praised the Slovenian summit for reconfirming the priorities set in September 2018, at the summit in Bucharest. He explained that the Initiative enhances European cohesion and convergence and strengthens trans-Atlantic relations. The Romanian official also mentioned that a number of important instruments for advancing the Initiative were agreed on in Bucharest, such as a list of interconnection priorities, a network of the chambers of commerce in the region, and the launch of a regional investment fund.

President Klaus Iohannis: “The progress report on the implementation of the projects included in the Bucharest list highligts advances in many of these areas. The Initiatives Business Forum, whose first edition was held last year in Bucharest, continues to represent an important component of our annual summits. The first meeting of the chambers of commerce in the network was successfully organised on the side lines of this years Business Forum, and the Initiatives Investment Fund is already operational. I hail my countrys participation in this effort via Eximbank, and I encourage other interested partners to join in.

The list of the summit participants also included the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, who explained why the Commission supports the Three Seas Initiative. This is not an abstract, neutral initiative, he said, but one with concrete projects aimed at improving the lives of the people who live in this region, which is why the Commission has supported this initiative from its very beginning.

In turn, the US Secretary of Energy Rick Perry said that for the USA, a safe and sovereign Europe is one that does not face economic, political or energy-related threats from the East. Attending the summit, the American official added that Romania has significant potential in terms of energy security.

The participants adopted a joint declaration reconfirming the fundamental objectives of the Initiative: boosting economic development, strengthening the cohesion of the EU, including by means of upgrading the infrastructure of the region, and enriching transatlantic ties, while at the same time reaffirming the message of unity and equality regarding the future of the EU.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)