Within this year edition we propose new programme lines: Economic Forum and Seminar concerning the Interreg programmes, as well as Debate of Regions, which will be held under the project co-financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (“Public Diplomacy 2022 “ programme).

• Three Seas Initiative – challenges of cooperation • Debate of Regions: Network of Three Seas Regions – cooperation with Ukrainian regions • Infrastructure: Transport corridors on the north-south axis • Energy security of the Three Seas states • Cooperation of universities of the Three Seas area • Development of 3SI agriculture and rural areas • Interreg programmes a cooperation platform of the Three Seas Regions • Economic Forum

The Three Seas Initiative, bringing together 13 countries, continues to strengthen its position as one of the most dynamic regions in Europe. In Dubrovnik, emphasis was placed on the development of north–south transport infrastructure, as well as energy and digital projects, which are crucial for further growth and increasing economic resilience.

A strong emphasis on the first day was placed on Poland’s role as one of the leaders of the initiative. President of the Republic of Poland, Karol Nawrocki, noted in his remarks that the Three Seas Initiative enhances Europe’s competitiveness and contributes to deepening regional cooperation.

“Poland plays the role of both a founding state and a consistent advocate of this initiative; I see it as a foundation of Europe’s competitiveness and a driver of transatlantic cooperation,” the President emphasised.

From the Polish perspective, particular attention was given to transatlantic relations. The President highlighted the importance of cooperation with the United States as a strategic partner and the need for continued engagement in the development of the initiative.

During his visit to Dubrovnik, the Polish President also held a number of bilateral meetings, including with U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia Andrej Plenković, as well as with representatives of Polish businesses participating in the Business Forum.

The talks focused on cooperation within the Three Seas Initiative, regional security, and the implementation of joint infrastructure projects, including in the fields of energy and transport. An important element was also the promotion of Poland’s economic potential and its role as a key link in the regional energy system.

During the Dubrovnik summit, Italy joined the Initiative as a strategic partner.



Declaration of the 11th Three Seas Initiative Summit

Photo credit: © Grzegorz Jakubowski/KPRP

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.