Three Seas Initiative

The Three Seas Initiative is a group of countries working together to discuss important issues. It includes thirteen states in the European Union and four partners that are not in the European Union. These countries are mostly in Central and Eastern Europe and are connected by the Baltic, Adriatic, and Black Seas.

The idea for the Three Seas Initiative started in 2016. Leaders from twelve countries met for the first time in Dubrovnik, Croatia. Over time, more countries joined. In 2022, Ukraine became a partner. In 2023, Greece joined as a member, and Moldova became a partner. By 2025, Albania and Montenegro also joined as partners.

The Initiative helps these countries talk about and solve problems that affect them all. It brings together leaders to make decisions that can help improve life for people living in these areas.

Statistics

The twelve countries in the Three Seas Initiative cover about 29% of the European Union’s land area, which is around 1,210,000 km². These countries are home to about 25% of the EU’s people, or roughly 110 million individuals. Together, they help create about €2.3 trillion in economic activity, which is around one seventh of the EU’s total economy.

History

The Three Seas Initiative began in 2015, started by the leaders of Poland and Croatia. It was inspired by an old Polish idea called Intermarium.

The first meeting happened in Dubrovnik, Croatia, in August 2016. Leaders talked about working together on energy and transportation. A leader from Poland said it was a new way to help Europe stay strong by working together with countries between the Adriatic, Baltic, and Black Seas.

More meetings happened in Warsaw, Poland, in 2017, and in Bucharest, Romania, in 2018. Leaders talked about connecting transport, energy, and digital networks. Important guests from Europe and the United States joined these meetings.

In 2026, the 11th meeting took place in Dubrovnik again. Many business leaders from around the world joined, and leaders talked about working with the United States on new projects like data centers and artificial intelligence. They also discussed building more natural gas facilities to help grow the market.

Projects

The Three Seas Initiative is linked to big building projects in the area. One is a road called "Via Carpathia" that connects Klaipėda in Lithuania to Thessaloniki in Greece. There are also plans for special gas stations along the coast in Poland and Croatia, with a pipe to connect them.

Other plans include roads and train tracks such as the Baltic-Adriatic Corridor, Via Baltica road, Rail Baltica, and the Amber Rail Freight Corridor. There is also a train plan called Rail-2-Sea to link the port of Gdańsk in Poland to the port of Constanța in Romania over a long distance.

Three Seas Initiative Investment Fund (3SIIF)

Two banks from Poland and Romania started the Three Seas Initiative Investment Fund, promising more than 500 million euros at first. Other countries in the group can join too. Leaders from banks in Poland, Romania, Latvia, and the Czech Republic watch over the fund.

In 2019, two big banks signed papers to start the fund. It will help build roads, energy lines, and digital networks. Private investors like pension funds can also help. The goal is to collect between €3–5 billion.

The fund plans to work on projects worth up to €100 billion. By 2023, the fund had about €900 million and works with a group called Amber Infrastructure Group to manage money.

Perception

Croatia

Croatia started the Three Seas Initiative with Poland in 2015. In 2020, the president at the time thought it wasn’t needed and might cause problems, but the prime minister and foreign minister strongly supported it. Croatia has its own coordinator for the Initiative and wants to improve rail connections and gas supply, reducing dependence on Russian gas. In 2026, Croatia and the US signed a document to work together on using nuclear energy for peaceful purposes and connecting gas pipelines.

Czech Republic

When the Three Seas Initiative began, many experts in the Czech Republic saw it as an attempt by Poland to create its own area of influence. Some worried it might divide the EU or leave out Germany. Over time, opinions improved, especially after working together on infrastructure projects. The Czech Republic still isn’t interested in joining the Investment fund or hosting a summit.

Finland

The Finns Party in Finland has suggested that Finland should join the initiative.

Ukraine

In 2016, Ukraine was invited to the Three Seas Summit but didn’t send anyone. Later, Ukraine showed interest in joining, especially after discussions about infrastructure projects. In 2022, after the start of the conflict with Russia, Poland supported Ukraine joining the Initiative. At a summit in Riga in 2022, Ukraine became a partner-participant in the Three Seas Initiative.