Three Seas Initiative is not competition against the European Union

17 May 2022

Three Seas Initiative is not competition against the European Union. We do believe that this Initiative creates opportunities for assisting the process of rebuilding Ukraine after war – says dr. hab. Marcin Szewczak, president of the Institute for Development of Local Government of the Lubelskie Voivodeship. Soon , on 6-7th June, 3Seas Local Government Congress in Lublin.

A video conference announcing the 3 Seas Local Government Congress has been held in the Lublin Conference Centre. The meeting was attended by the Marshal of the Lubelskie Voivodeship Jarosław Stawiarski, President of the Institute for Development of Local Government of the Lubelskie Voivodeship dr. hab. Marcin Szewczak, Deputy Director at the Marshal’s Chancellery Izabela Szczęsna Kowalczyk and Director of the Department for Economy and Entrepreneurship Support Elwira Lorenz.

On 6-7th June this year Lublin will become the centre of exchange of economic ideas. The aim of the Three Seas project is creating a platform for building strong structural ties on the north-south axis. The Congress will gather the authorities from 12 states from the area of the three seas: the Baltic, Black and Adriatic. This year, the debate will also be joined by Ukraine.

Cooperating on the level of local government, we can build a good climate not only for economic or cultural cooperation, but also for uniting for the benefit of free, democratic Europe. During the Congress, we will try to answer the question how we can influence our governments and relations between the European Union and Ukraine, which is defending its sovereignty – underlined the Marshal of the Lubelskie Voivodeship Jarosław Stawiarski.

The Three Seas Initiative has a gigantic potential. The Three Seas states have been developing most dynamically in Europe for the last 15 years. We have common history, our societies want to reach the western standard of living. The region’s citizens are ready to work hard to achieve success. They have great ambitions. It is our powerful capital. Not using this potential would be a huge mistake not to be forgiven – said President of the Republic of Poland Andrzej Duda last year during opening

CONGRESS 2026 AGENDA

08 May 2026

Three Seas Initiative Summit in Dubrovnik

30 April 2026

Parliamentary Summit of the Three Seas Initiative in Zagreb

26 March 2026

Rada Programowa Samorządowego Kongresu Trójmorza 2026

20 March 2026

Krok w stronę rozszerzenia Inicjatywy Trójmorza

12 March 2026

About the Three Seas Initiative in Davos

23 January 2026

Registration for the 6th Three Seas Local Government Congress is now open

21 January 2026

A visit to Slovakia by President Karol Nawrocki

07 November 2025

The Three Seas Local Government Congress under the Honorary Patronage of the President of Poland

03 November 2025

The Three Seas Local Government Congress under the Honorary Patronage of the President of Poland

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03 November 2025

The 6 th edition of the Three Seas Local Government Congress will be held May 27-28, 2026, under the Honorary Patronage of the President of the Republic of Poland, Karol Nawrocki. This distinction recognises the growing importance of the event, which has become a key platform for cooperation among the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, both in the economic and infrastructural dimensions.

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.

We cordially invite you to take part in the Three Seas Local Government Congress! Registration will open in the end of January. More details will soon be available at www.congress.lubelskie.pl and on our social media channels.