From the Baltic to the Adriatic and the Black Sea: Three Seas initiative deepens regional cooperation

Nearly 2,000 participants from 37 countries, 25 official delegations and 46 discussion panels across five thematic tracks — this was the scale of the 6th Local Government Congress of the Three Seas Initiative, held in Lublin on 27–28 May 2026. The event brought together regional authorities, diplomats, academics and business leaders from across Central and Eastern Europe.

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28 may 2026   |   23:42   |   Source: Gazeta Morska   |   Prepared by: Kamil Kusier   |   Print

fot. VI Samorządowy Kongres Trójmorza

For the maritime and logistics sectors, the congress carried particular significance. The Three Seas Initiative - connecting the Baltic, Adriatic and Black seas — is increasingly transforming political declarations into tangible infrastructure, transport and energy projects.

A decade of the Three Seas Initiative

Launched in 2015 by the presidents of Poland and Croatia, the Three Seas Initiative now brings together 13 Central European countries, representing more than 120 million citizens. The platform currently includes nearly 140 priority projects aimed at strengthening both European Union cohesion and the wider Euro-Atlantic area.

This year’s congress attracted not only regional participants but also guests from outside Europe, including representatives from Argentina, Azerbaijan, Canada, Portugal, the Netherlands, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the United States.

The event was held under the honorary patronage of Polish President Karol Nawrocki, who addressed participants online. The Lubelskie Voivodeship remains both initiator and host of the congress, having organised all six editions since 2021.

For the first time, Albania and Italy joined the group of official delegations. In total, 25 delegations attended, including representatives from Croatia, Romania, Slovakia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Bulgaria, France and Moldova.

Opening the congress at the Centre for the Meeting of Cultures in Lublin, Marshal of the Lubelskie Voivodeship Jarosław Stawiarski underlined the cooperative nature of the initiative.

- We are not a rival to the European Union, we are part of it. This project is meant to support peace in Europe and strengthen the economies of the countries connected by the Adriatic, Baltic and Black seas. Together we can achieve more.

Former Polish President Andrzej Duda, one of the co-creators of the Three Seas format, reflected on the initiative’s first decade. The importance of north-south cooperation across Central Europe was also emphasised by MP Prof. Przemysław Czarnek.

The opening diplomatic panel featured ambassadors from Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic and Austria.

Three Seas Regions Network continues to expand

A key pillar of the initiative’s regional dimension is the Three Seas Regions Network, established in Lublin in June 2021 through the signing of the so-called Lublin Declaration.

During the sixth edition of the congress, two additional regions joined the network: Vaslui County in Romania and Eastern Macedonia and Thrace in Greece. The network now includes 30 regions from nine Central and Eastern European countries.

The Three Seas Universities Network was also expanded, welcoming academic institutions from Albania, Türkiye and Spain.

Among the projects developed within the regional cooperation framework is the 3Seas Tourism Network, jointly created by the Lubelskie Voivodeship, Bulgaria’s Ministry of Tourism, the Lublin Regional Tourism Organisation and the Association of Bulgarian Black Sea Municipalities. The initiative aims to develop a coherent tourism offer for coastal regions while facilitating access to EU funding.

Via Carpatia - the north-south transport backbone

One of the flagship projects of the Three Seas Initiative remains Via Carpatia, the strategic transport corridor stretching from the Baltic Sea to the Aegean. The route runs through Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Greece.

In Poland alone, the corridor includes nearly 700 kilometres of expressways, with 352 km already operational and another 348 km under construction. The route crosses five Polish regions and includes the longest tunnel section of the entire corridor, currently being built in Podkarpacie.

For shipping companies, port operators and logistics providers operating on the Polish coast, Via Carpatia is of major strategic importance. A fully operational north-south corridor will significantly improve cargo flows between Baltic ports and Southern European markets.

The first declaration supporting the corridor was signed by representatives of the Lubelskie and Podkarpackie regions together with Slovakia’s Prešov Region.

Baltic–Adriatic corridor and energy security

To date, the Three Seas Initiative has identified 143 strategic projects covering connectivity, transport, energy and digitalisation.

Poland is currently involved in 11 projects, plus one newly submitted initiative. These include the already completed Poland–Lithuania Gas Interconnection (GIPL) and the Baltic–Adriatic TEN-T Core Network Corridor.

Both projects directly strengthen the position of Polish seaports and contribute to the diversification of energy supplies across the eastern Baltic region.

Security Forum debuts with strong Baltic focus

A new feature of this year’s congress was the Security Forum, dedicated to regional resilience and critical infrastructure protection.

Discussions focused on local resilience, cybersecurity, public health security and the role of regional governments in crisis response. Participants analysed topics including the "Baltic 2035" report, cyber resilience of municipal infrastructure and financing security-related investments.

Particular interest was generated by a strategic simulation exercise recreating the functioning of local governments on the eve of, and during, wartime conditions.

Economic Forum and quantum ambitions in Lublin

The Economic Forum once again served as a platform for business networking and cross-border cooperation, featuring trade missions, B2B meetings and exhibition zones.

The event also marked the 20th anniversary of the “Lubelskie” regional brand.

The second day of the congress at the Lublin Conference Centre was opened by former Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, currently President of the European Conservatives and Reformists.

- I see enormous potential in expanding all north-south transport arteries, which can become another engine of growth. We share common interests.

One of the symbolic highlights of the congress was the signing of a memorandum establishing the Lublin Quantum Computing Centre.

The agreement was signed by regional authorities together with representatives of four Lublin universities: Lublin University of Technology, the University of Life Sciences, the Medical University of Lublin and the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin.

The planned quantum computer is expected to support scientific research, administrative data management optimisation, cybersecurity solutions and large-scale data analysis.

Investment capital expected to reach billions

Although the Three Seas Initiative does not operate through a single centralised funding mechanism, it benefits from dedicated financial instruments — most notably the Three Seas Initiative Investment Fund (3SIIF).

The fund supports cross-border transport, energy and digital infrastructure projects. Financial institutions from nine countries, alongside private investors, currently participate in the mechanism.

So far, approximately EUR 928 million has been raised, while the target capitalisation is expected to reach between EUR 3 billion and EUR 5 billion.

The broader economic scale of the initiative is equally significant. The 13 member states represent more than 30% of the European Union’s territory, 28% of its population and approximately 16% of EU GDP. Over the last two decades, the region has recorded some of the world’s fastest economic growth rates.

"Together we can achieve more"

The two-day congress concluded with figures highlighting the growing scale of the initiative: 46 panels, more than 180 speakers and 32 institutional and academic partners.

The event hosted eight ambassadors and heads of diplomatic missions from Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Latvia, Slovakia, the Netherlands and Montenegro.

Among the most recognisable guests were former President Andrzej Duda, ECR President Mateusz Morawiecki, Three Seas Business Council President Beata Daszyńska-Muzyczka and Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Jarosław Gromadziński, head of the Defence Institute.

The congress also welcomed prominent figures from the world of sport, including speedway champion Bartosz Zmarzlik, Olympic boxer Julia Szeremeta and Tour de Pologne founder Czesław Lang.

The key message of the congress remained unchanged: together, the region connecting the Baltic, Adriatic and Black seas can achieve more.

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