Three Seas Initiative accelerates as Lublin becomes strategic hub for infrastructure and security dialogue

Lublin is positioning itself at the centre of Central and Eastern Europe’s evolving geopolitical and infrastructure architecture as it prepares to host the VI Three Seas Local Government Congress and Economic Forum on 27-28 May. The event has become one of the most influential regional platforms linking infrastructure, energy security and investment flows across the Baltic–Adriatic–Black Sea corridor.

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14 may 2026   |   13:02   |   Source: Gazeta Morska   |   Prepared by: Kamil Kusier   |   Print

fot. Łukasz Frączek / UMWL

Nearly 300 regions from 13 Three Seas Initiative countries, alongside partner regions from France, Italy and Ukraine, are expected to attend. Registration closes on 21 May or upon reaching capacity.

Three Seas as a de facto coordination mechanism for regional convergence

The Congress, initiated by the Lublin Voivodeship, has evolved beyond a political forum into a practical coordination platform for infrastructure delivery across Central and Eastern Europe.

Core priorities include the Via Carpatia corridor, cross-border energy infrastructure, rail connectivity, cybersecurity systems and digital governance.

Across five editions, more than 5,000 participants from governments, regional authorities and industry have taken part, with the event consistently held under the honorary patronage of the President of Poland.

Jarosław Stawiarski: Three Seas is a convergence engine, not a symbolic initiative

Lublin Voivodeship Marshal Jarosław Stawiarski emphasised the operational dimension of the initiative, framing it as a functional instrument of European convergence.

He stressed that the 13 participating countries along the north–south axis represent not an alternative to the EU, but a structural complement designed to strengthen cohesion and accelerate economic convergence.

According to Stawiarski, the initiative is already delivering tangible outcomes:

– Infrastructure, energy and cybersecurity projects are no longer theoretical constructs. They are being implemented across the region through structured cooperation. The Three Seas Regions Network already brings together 28 regions committed to shaping a shared development trajectory for Europe’s future – he stated.

€650 billion infrastructure gap highlights structural imbalance

A key theme of the Congress remains the scale of investment required to modernise the region.

Beata Daszyńska-Muzyczka highlighted three structural gaps, including GDP divergence and infrastructure deficits across core sectors.

She estimated that €650 billion in investment is required across energy, transport-logistics and digital infrastructure.

Public funding alone, including EU instruments, is insufficient to close the gap, reinforcing the need for private capital mobilisation and blended finance mechanisms.

The BGK-backed investment platform, developed with a consortium of European banks, has already completed five investments worth over €6 billion, while nearly 40 projects from an initial pipeline of 146 have been delivered.

Security becomes a defining pillar of the Three Seas agenda

The 2026 edition introduces a dedicated Security Forum, reflecting the region’s shifting strategic environment.

Key topics include:

• critical infrastructure resilience
• hybrid and cyber threats
• health and social security systems
• local crisis management frameworks
• institutional trust and governance capacity

Discussions will also focus on the geopolitical consequences of the war in Ukraine and NATO’s evolving eastern flank architecture.

Expansion of the Three Seas Regions Network

The Congress will formalise the accession of two new members:

• Vaslui County (Romania)
• East Macedonia and Thrace (Greece)

The network now spans 28 regions across eight countries, supporting cooperation in infrastructure, education, innovation, energy and tourism.

Multi-track programme: economics, science and security

The event will run five parallel forums:

• International Forum
• Economic Forum
• Security Forum (Defence24 partnership)
• Scientific Forum (KUL, UMCS, Polish Academy of Sciences)
• Youth Forum

Three Seas Gala to recognise regional leadership

The second day will feature the Three Seas Regions Gala, recognising outstanding contributions to cross-border cooperation.

A new award category dedicated to security and resilience will be introduced, reflecting the initiative’s growing strategic depth.

Media patronage of the event has been granted to Gazeta Morska and Daily Mare.

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