International Forum
As part of the Three Seas Local Government Congress, the International Forum brought together political leaders, diplomats, and experts from across the Three Seas region to discuss the future of regional cooperation. The programme focused on cross-border partnerships, energy security and the growing role of regions in strengthening Europe’s resilience and stability.
During two days of inspiring discussions the Forum featured 11 panel discussions, two keynote speeches and the signing of a landmark declaration.
The opening keynote was delivered by Prof. Dr Mariela Modeva, Deputy Minister of Tourism of the Republic of Bulgaria. She highlighted tourism as a powerful tool for building trust, strengthening economic cooperation and fostering closer ties between countries and regions. She also pointed to the strong potential for deeper cooperation between Bulgaria and Poland in tourism, culture, investment and transport connectivity within the Three Seas Initiative. One of the Forum’s key achievements was the signing of the Declaration establishing the Three Seas Tourism Network (3Seas Tourism Network) in 2025. Initiated by Bulgarian partners, the Network is a joint project of the Lubelskie Voivodeship, the Ministry of Tourism of the Republic of Bulgaria, the Lubelskie Regional Tourism Organisation and the Association of Bulgarian Black Sea Municipalities. Its mission is to promote sustainable tourism, strengthen regional brands and develop a joint tourism offer for Central and Eastern Europe.
Tourism was also the focus of one of the panel discussions, which explored its role as a driver of regional development and international cooperation. Other sessions addressed the geopolitical challenges facing the European Union in the context of the Three Seas Initiative, as well as the importance of sport as an investment in the region’s future. The programme also included a conversation between Katarzyna Kochaniak-Roman, Marketing and Communications Director of the Polish Olympic Committee, and Bartosz Zmarzlik, six-time Speedway World Champion. Among the distinguished speakers on the first day were Przemysław Czarnek, Member of the Polish Parliament, Prof. Fabrizio Giulimondi, Radosław Piesiewicz, President of the Polish Olympic Committee, and Czesław Lang, Olympic silver medallist and General Director of the Tour de Pologne.
The second day of the Forum opened with a keynote address by Mateusz Morawiecki, Prime Minister of Poland from 2017 to 2023 and President of the European Conservatives and Reformists Party. He spoke about the strategic importance of Central and Eastern Europe and emphasised that the Three Seas Initiative has the potential to become a major driver of economic growth through stronger transport, energy, digital and security cooperation, supported by flagship projects such as Via Carpatia and Rail Baltica.
A major highlight of the day was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding establishing the Lublin Quantum Computing Centre. The agreement brought together the Lubelskie Voivodeship, Lublin University of Technology, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin, Medical University of Lublin, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, and John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin to develop a quantum computing facility that will support cutting-edge scientific research and enhance public administration through advanced data processing technologies.
Panel discussions on the second day covered investment opportunities, energy security, Polish-Ukrainian cross-border cooperation and dual-use infrastructure. Participants also explored the role of culture in regional development, alongside environmental and climate-related challenges affecting the Three Seas region.
The second day’s speakers included Beata Daszyńska, President of the Three Seas Business Council, Paweł Nierada, co-founder of the Council, Haris Dalkitzis, Deputy Governor of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace (Greece), Christian Debève from France’s Grand Est Region, Andriy Sheketa, Deputy Chairman of the Zakarpattia Regional Council (Ukraine), Simion Cretu, Director General of the Centru Regional Development Agency (Romania), and Prof. Roman Niżnikowski of the Warsaw University of Life Sciences.
The Forum also featured a Meet & Greet networking session for municipalities and non-governmental organisations. Representatives from Poland, Austria, Greece, Romania and Ukraine showcased successful cooperation projects, exchanged ideas and explored opportunities for future international partnerships.
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