- Recently we have had a new chancellor of Germany and a president of France. We are now looking for a leader in Europe. From the American perspective, if they want to call Europe, who will they call? We need a leader in Europe. We will see who this leader will be, it must be somebody from a big country. It can also be the President of Poland. We will see – Alan Karis, the President of Estonia has said recently.

President of Estonia pointed out that Poland has the best Trans-Atlantic relations in the European Union. Moreover, it has engaged in the support of Ukraine to the greatest extent. Our country also plays a leading role in international armed forces in the region, for example leading the Grand Hetman Ostrogski Lithuanian-Polish-Ukrainian Brigade. The Baltic countries no longer trust German-French leadership.

Alar Klaris emphasises that, with the international support, he cannot imagine different scenario than victory of Ukraine. He also does not believe in peace solutions recommended by Macron and Chancellor Scholz. In the opinion of the President of Estonia, Putin’s war is also a war with the West and the European Union, not only with the Kiev government. – We must support Ukraine as much as possible - he said. It is a war of Russia against democracy, against the western world. It is also our war – he underlined.

The fact that Poland is a European leader is not only journalism. Hard numbers prove that. Before the outbreak of the war, our state was a first-choice country for the Ukrainian people looking for a job. We have overtaken Germany in this regard. Poland also leads the way in supporting Ukraine, we opened our homes the highest number of war refugees.

Among the EU countries, Warsaw also provided the greatest amount of weapon and humanitarian aid. We are also a leader in current economic growth. In the first post-pandemic quarter, our GDP increased by as much as 8.1 %. The EU average is only 1.1%. The economy of France increased in this period by only 1%. In fact, it all shows almost everything about the position of our country in the EU.

W Lubelskim Centrum Konferencyjnym odbyło się posiedzenie Rady Programowej Samorządowego Kongresu Trójmorza pod przewodnictwem Prezesa Instytutu Rozwoju Samorządu Terytorialnego Województwa Lubelskiego, prof. Małgorzaty Ganczar. Było to pierwsze spotkanie nowej Rady na 2026 rok skupiającej przedstawicieli różnych dziedzin nauki z kraju i zagranicy, którzy w swej pracy realizują ideę inicjatywy trójmorskiej.

Skład Rady znajduje się pod linkiem: Rada Programowa 2026

Członkowie Rady zaakceptowali założenia programowe VI edycji Kongresu i regulamin przyznawania nagrody „Międzynarodowy Sukces w obszarze Trójmorza”. Rada wyłoni laureatów w czterech obszarach: Firma międzynarodowa, Firma regionalna, Osoba, która przyczyniła się do rozwoju Inicjatywy Trójmorza oraz w nowej kategorii Bezpieczeństwo. Termin zgłoszenia kandydatów do nagród mija 20 kwietnia 2026 r. na adres: irst.lubelskie@gmail.com. Regulamin oraz formularz konkursowy do pobrania poniżej:

- regulamin

- formularz

Tegoroczny Kongres zostanie podzielony na pięć forów tematycznych: międzynarodowe, naukowe, gospodarcze, bezpieczeństwa i młodzieży. Jak zaznaczył p. Marcin Szewczak – Członek Zarządu Woj. Lubelskiego, kongres stał się swoistą marką, która pod patronatem nowo wybranego Prezydenta RP, w tym roku może wejść w nowy etap w podejściu do kwestii Trójmorza. Agenda wydarzenia obfituje w tematy ważne z punktu widzenia regionu, kraju oraz Europy Środkowej i Wschodniej i stanowić będzie aktywną platformę do wymiany najbardziej aktualnej wiedzy, jak również będzie miejscem nawiązywania kontaktów i wzajemnego poznawania dziedzictwa historycznego.

Zapraszamy do rejestrowania się na VI edycję wydarzenia, która odbędzie się w dniach 27-28 maja 2026 r. w Lublinie.

President Nawrocki noted that over the course of a decade the Three Seas Initiative has evolved from a political concept into a mature cooperation mechanism that has tangible impact on the regional development.

“Ten years ago, the Three Seas Initiative began as an idea. Up until today it has evolved into a strategic framework for regional transformation, and alliance of innovation and infrastructure, and a symbol of Central and South-Eastern Europe’s maturity and confidence on the world stage” – told the President.

In his address the President also emphasized the strong transatlantic anchoring of the Three Seas Initiative. He stressed that from the very beginning, the Initiative was conceived as an open project, strengthening cooperation between the European Union and partners outside Europe, particularly the United States. In this context, the Three Seas Initiative was presented as a “bridge” connecting a dynamically developing region with global capital, technology, and markets.

” The Three Seas Initiative has never been an inward-looking project (…) it has been strategically anchored in the transatlantic partnership that unites Europe and North America”.

The President drew attention to the geostrategic dimension of cooperation within the Three Seas region in the face of global challenges such as geopolitical instability, pressure on supply chains, and competition for resources. He pointed out that the development of modern infrastructure and the deepening of economic cooperation constitute the foundation of security and long-term growth.

The speech also had a strong economic dimension. The President of Poland underlined Poland’s ambitions to strengthen its position in the global economy and its aspirations to join the G20, highlighting the growing role of the Three Seas region as one of the engines of growth in Europe. At the same time, he invited international investors to actively participate in projects implemented under the framework of the Initiative.

During the World Economic Forum in Davos, President Karol Nawrocki also met with President of the United States Donald Trump. The main topics of their talks were security and economic issues.

THE PRESIDENT’S SPEECH IS AVAILABLE HERE

Photo credit: © Mikołaj Bujak/KPRP, Source: https://www.prezydent.pl/aktualnosci/wizyty-zagraniczne/prezydent-w-davos-o-inicjatywie-trojmorza,113783

The Three Seas Local Government Congress is a prestigious international event organised by the Lubelskie Voivodeship. The Congress serves as a platform for cooperation among 13 countries of the Three Seas Initiative and associated members (Ukraine, Moldova, Albania, and Montenegro), focusing on infrastructure development, security, innovation, and cross-border cooperation. Over the past five editions, the Congress has gathered more than 5000 participants from over 25 countries, including representatives of governments, local and regional authorities, business, and academia. The event is held under the Honorary Patronage of the President of the Republic of Poland. Representatives of more than 350 regions from the Three Seas Initiative are invited to attend the Congress. It is a multidimensional event. Its accompanying activities include the Economic Forum, a scientific session of the Three Seas Universities Network, and the 3Seas Youth Forum. The upcoming edition of the Congress will be expanded to include a Security Forum addressed to local governments from the Three Seas region.

The Economic Forum comprehensively supports the offer of SMEs from the Lubelskie Voivodeship. Its aim is to create conditions for the development of entrepreneurship and investor services, as well as to build lasting economic relationships and facilitate the exchange of experience and inspiration in the field of the economy. Topics addressed during the Forum will include, among others: Feminine Lubelskie, Innovation, entrepreneurship (B2B Zone / Exhibition Zone), the 20th anniversary of Marka Lubelskie, and international cooperation. The Economic Forum is a unique platform for networking, signing agreements, and presenting technologies and solutions that create real opportunities for regional economic cooperation in times of global tension.

The Security Forum is a key accompanying event of the Three Seas Local Government Congress, dedicated to challenges and opportunities in the broadly understood field of security for regions involved in the Network of the Three Seas Regions project. At its core is the exchange of experience and the building of cooperation among local governments, organizations, experts, and business representatives from the 13 countries of the Three Seas Initiative. Topics discussed during the Forum will include, among others: local resilience, health and social security, protection of critical infrastructure, cybersecurity, and the role of local governments in crisis response. The co-organiser of the Security Forum is Defence24.

During a press conference, Karol Nawrocki emphasised that Poland and Slovakia are not only neighbours, but also long–standing friends. „In 2022–24, Polish pilots took part in air–policing mission of Slovakia's airspace, and when the Polish border was violated by Russian drones, President Pellegrini and Slovakia unequivocally declared their solidarity with Poland” – he recalled.

The President emphasised that the primary objective of Poland and Slovakia is to strengthen their partnership within organisations such as the Visegrad Group, the Three Seas Initiative and the Bucharest Nine, while also taking responsibility for NATO's eastern flank.

President Nawrocki also emphasised the need to strengthen infrastructure cooperation. He welcomed with satisfaction the Slovakian President's declaration that construction of the R4 route, which forms part of the Via Carpatia project, will be completed in the coming years.

The President believes that such actions will contribute to the economic development and security of our region. 'Following my meetings with President Donald Trump, I proposed that Poland should become as soon as possible a hub for gas supplies from the United States. We have a terminal in Świnoujście and I hope that construction of the floating terminal in the Baltic Sea will be completed soon. We also have an interconnector with Slovakia,” said Karol Nawrocki. He added that „Poland's infrastructure development and our cooperation will lead us to independence from Russia throughout the region.”

President Nawrocki also confirmed that he had discussed migration with Peter Pellegrini. The Polish and Slovakian Presidents agreed that EU institutions cannot decide where to deploy migrants who pose a threat to security within Member States. President Nawrocki expressed his hope that, at the December Visegrad Group Summit, it would be possible to convince the Hungarian and Czech delegations to adopt this position as well.

While in Bratislava, President Nawrocki also met the Slovak Republic's Prime Minister, Robert Fico, and its President of the National Council, Richard Raši.

Courtesy of: Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland (https://www.president.pl/news/a-visit-to-slovakia-by-president-karol-nawrocki,109798)

Over five editions of the Congress (2020–2025), more than 5,000 participants from 24 countries have taken part, 104 discussion panels have been held, and 64 foreign delegations have visited Lublin. The scale and international character of the event confirm its increasing role in shaping dialogue across the Three Seas region.

We, the countries representing Central and Eastern Europe (…) through the Three Seas Initiative, Via Baltica, and Via Carpatia, share not only our voice and vision of building a civic community, but also tangible results showing that the Baltic States and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe are capable of implementing major infrastructure projects, emphasised President Karol Nawrocki during his visit to Vilnius last month.

These words perfectly capture the spirit of the Three Seas Congress, which brings together political, academic, and business communities around a shared goal, building a strong, integrated, and cooperative Central and Eastern Europe.

It is also worth noting that in April 2025, Poland hosted the 10th Three Seas Initiative Summit. During the event, participants emphasised the importance of infrastructure and economic cooperation in the region and the need to strengthen cohesion across Central and Eastern Europe. This year, the cooperation format has been expanded to include new members - Albania and Montenegro joined the Three Seas Initiative in the capacity of associated participating states, while Spain and Turkey became new strategic partners. It has already been announced that the 11th Summit will take place in Croatia in 2026.

Next year’s edition of the Congress will bring together representatives of administration, business, and academia from the 13 Three Seas Initiative member states, as well as associated countries (Ukraine, Moldova, Montenegro, and Albania) and strategic partners from the European Commission, the United States of America, the Federal Republic of Germany, Japan, Turkey, and Spain. In previous years, the Congress contributed to the establishment of the Network of the Three Seas Regions, the Three Seas Tourism Network, the Universities Network, and the Partnership of Regions for Via Carpatia.



The 6th edition of the Congress promises to be a multidimensional event, continuing proven formats while introducing new initiatives. Participants will have the opportunity to attend discussion panels, regional and cultural debates, and the Economic Forum, as well as take advantage of numerous networking opportunities such as B2B meetings, discussions, exhibition spaces, Meet & Greet sessions, and study visits.

A major new feature of next year’s edition will be the Security Forum, focused on issues related to security policy, defence, cybersecurity, and societal resilience.

The Congress will also feature a Youth Forum, providing a platform for the young generation to express their opinions and share experiences related to current trends in the labour market.

We cordially invite you to take part in the event and help shape the future of cooperation in a rapidly changing Europe. More details are available at www.congress.lubelskie.pl and on the Congress’s official social media channels.

As part of the conference, two thematic discussion panels were held. Panel I: Scientific Cooperation and Parliamentary Diplomacy in the Three Seas Region. The panel outlined the prospects for cooperation between universities in the Three Seas Initiative, with particular emphasis on opportunities for academic exchange and joint research programmes addressing shared cultural, political and religious heritage, as well as possibilities for economic and military cooperation. The issue of involving scientists from various fields and scientific disciplines was discussed, as well as the prospects of using research to implement plans for cooperation between the Three Seas countries in various areas. Another topic concerned the position of EU institutions (including the European Parliament), as well as the largest EU member states, toward the Three Seas Initiative. Possible areas of cooperation and contentious issues (the green deal, relations with the US, models of European integration) were discussed. The panel was attended by His Excellency Mr Josip Paro, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Croatia to the Kingdom of Belgium, Her Excellency Ms Daniela Morari, Ambassador, Head of Mission of the Republic of Moldova to the European Union, Mr Serhiy Tereshko, Deputy Head of Mission of Ukraine to the European Union, Mr Arkadiusz Mularczyk, Member of the European Parliament, Mr Moray Gilland, representative of the European Commission, Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy, and Prof. Agnieszka Orzelska-Stączek from the Institute of Political Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences.

The second panel, Regional Cooperation in the Three Seas Initiative – from concept to practice, was focused on the role of local governments in the development of the Three Seas Initiative (3SI), a flagship regional project aimed at building cross-border infrastructure and improving connectivity and integration in the region. The panel addressed the progress and accomplishments of the 3SI thus far, the construction of the Via Carpatia expressway and its significance for the regions. In addition, ideas were presented for new areas of enhanced cooperation within the 3SI, such as improving infrastructure — used for development purposes as well as military mobility, logistics, and humanitarian aid — and exploring the potential for closer alignment of Ukrainian regions with the Initiative. The panel featured contributions from representatives of the following regions: Mr Jarosław Stawiarski, Marshal of the Lubelskie Voivodeship, Mr Milan Majersky, President of the Prešov Self-Governing Region (Slovakia), Ms Violeta Labazyuk, Head of the Khmelnytskyi Regional Council (Ukraine), Ms Małgorzata Jarosińska-Jedynak, Member of the Board of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship. Dr Konrad Popławski moderated the discussion from the Centre for Eastern Studies.

Since the formal establishment of the Network of the Three Seas Regions in 2021, 28 regional authorities from eight countries have been actively engaged in close cooperation. Our current priorities include enhancing economic development along the North - South axis near the eastern border of the European Union - a region increasingly at risk of marginalization due to the ongoing war beyond its borders. The strategic economic importance of this area is underscored by the fact that the 13 member states of the Three Seas Initiative represent over one quarter of the EU’s population, comprising 120 million citizens and a highly skilled workforce. Another key issue is the improvement of transport capacity and infrastructure along the eastern border of the European Union, particularly in relation to the strategically important Via Carpatia route and its connecting corridors leading to Ukraine and Moldova. The region serves as the 'Eastern Gateway' of the European Union, which is why both transport and social infrastructure are regarded not only as drivers of economic development, but also as essential components of security — not just for Central and Eastern Europe, but for the EU as a whole.

We are meeting today to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Three Seas Initiative, an initiative that arose from the need for deeper integration, primarily economic and infrastructural, in our part of Europe—Central Europe, said the Polish president during the opening session of the Summit.

The format is now a decade old and the Three Seas Initiative has strengthened its function as one of the important tools for strengthening transatlantic relations in both the political and economic dimensions.

At the same time - as Andrzej Duda emphasised - as a project of the countries belonging to the European community, the Three Seas Initiative - also through actions aimed at deepening Euro-Atlantic relations – enriches and strengthens the European Union.

At present, the Three Seas Initiative comprises 140 priority projects, two investment funds and another in the design phase, as well as an extensive network of partnerships and many bottom-up initiatives covering regional, scientific and economic cooperation. Among the most important from the perspective of the strategic interests of the Republic of Poland are: gas interconnectors with Lithuania and Slovakia, the Via Carpatia expressway, the rail corridor of the TEN-T Baltic-Adriatic core network, Rail-2-Sea - rail connection between the ports of Gdansk and Constanta.

The summit was attended by:

• Rumen Radev, President of the Republic of Bulgaria; 
• Gitanas Nausėda, President of the Republic of Lithuania;
• Alar Karis, President of the Republic of Estonia;
• Bajram Begaj, President of the Republic of Albania;
• Petr Pavel, President of the Czech Republic;
• Jakov Milatović, President of Montenegro;
• Edgars Rinkēvičs, President of the Republic of Latvia;
• Tamás Sulyok, President of Hungary;
• Peter Pellegrini, President of the Slovak Republic;
• Ilie Bolojan, acting President of Romania;
• Andrej Plenković, Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia;
• Vladimir Bolea, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development of the Republic of Moldova;
• Oleksii Kuleba, Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration of Ukraine;
• Georgios Gerapetritis, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Hellenic Republic;
• Alenka Bratušek, Minister of Infrastructure of the Republic of Slovenia;
• Abdülkadir Uraloğlu, Minister of Transport and Infrastructure of the Republic of Türkiye;
• Nikolaus Marschik, Secretary–General and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Austria;
• Fernando Sampedro Marcos, Secretary of State for the European Union in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of Spain;
• Tommy Joyce, Acting Assistant Secretary for the Office of International Affairs at the US Department of Energy;
• Viktor Elbling, Ambassador of Germany to Poland;
• Akira Kono, Ambassador of Japan to Poland;
• Cristina Lobillo Borrero, Head of Energy Platform Task Force in the Directorate–General for Energy of the European Commission.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky connected with the participants online.

In the afternoon, President Andrzej Duda, at a joint press conference with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda and Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, summed up the meeting of heads of state and government at the 10th Summit of the Three Seas Initiative. Discussions focused on future investments within the 3SI co–operation format, including the development of energy and transport infrastructure, as well as security issues for the countries in our region.

This year the cooperation format has been expanded to include new members - Albania and Montenegro joined the Three Seas Initiative in the capacity of associated participating states, while Spain and Turkey became new strategic partners.

The Summit was accompanied by a Business Forum

Joint Declaration of the 10th Summit of the Three Seas Initiative

Courtesy of: Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland (https://www.president.pl/news/the-10th-three-seas-initiative-summit,100917)