A two-day summit in Romania has begun, bringing together 12 European Union member states between the Baltic, Black and Adriatic Seas. The Three Seas Initiative, which includes Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Austria, Estonia, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Latvia, and Lithuania, aims to improve interconnectivity in transportation, energy, and digital fields. Romanian President Klaus Iohannis emphasised the importance of the initiative a year and a half after Russia’s aggression against Ukraine for its importance in strengthening regional and European resilience.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy referred to a recent drone attack as „at the border of our three seas,” referring to a recent drone attack on Ukraine’s Danube ports. Romania’s defence minister, Angel Tilvar, said that pieces of the drone had been found on his country’s territory, a NATO member.
The initiative was launched in 2016 and includes Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Austria, Estonia, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Latvia, and Lithuania. Romanian Foreign Minister Luminita Odobescu had „excellent discussions” with the U.S. assistant secretary of state for energy resources, Geoffrey Pyatt, about joint projects aiming to bolster regional energy security.
During the summit, a joint accord will be signed, making Greece the grouping’s 13th participating state, and both Ukraine and Moldova will obtain the status of associate participating states. Moldovan President Maia Sandu met with Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, and later held a news conference with Poland and Lithuania’s presidents and Croatia’s prime minister.
