29.04.2025 18:42
Turkey's application for 'Strategic Partnership' in the Three Seas Initiative, aimed at strengthening the infrastructure of Central and Eastern European countries, was accepted at the Summit held in Warsaw.
Turkey's application for "Strategic Partnership" to the Three Seas Initiative, established with the initiatives of Poland and Croatia, aims to strengthen the infrastructure and connectivity of Central and Eastern European countries with old and inadequate energy, digital, and physical transportation infrastructure, including the Baltic Sea, Adriatic Sea, and Black Sea, was accepted at the 10th Summit of the Initiative held in Warsaw on April 28-29.
HELD IN WARSAW
Established in 2015 through the initiatives of Polish President Andrzej Duda and then Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, the Three Seas Initiative aims to strengthen the infrastructure and connectivity of Central and Eastern European countries with relatively older and inadequate energy, digital, and physical transportation infrastructure, and is an international platform where only European Union (EU) countries can be "Participating Members." The 10th Summit of the Three Seas Initiative was held in the capital of Poland, Warsaw, on April 28-29.
THREE DIFFERENT STATUSES EXIST
According to information obtained from a senior official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, there are three different statuses within the Initiative: "Participating Members" consisting only of EU member countries (Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Greece), "Strategic Partners" consisting of countries that can provide financial support and/or prestige to the initiative (EU Commission, USA, Germany, Japan), and "Joint Participants" designed to include countries like Ukraine and Moldova.
TURKEY'S APPLICATION HAS BEEN ACCEPTED
At the Ninth Summit of the Three Seas Initiative held in Vilnius on April 11, 2024, six countries, including Turkey (Turkey, United Kingdom, Finland, Montenegro, Spain, and Israel), participated as special guests. Turkey's "Strategic Partnership" application was accepted by member countries at the 10th Summit held in Warsaw. A ministry official noted that the platform would allow Turkey's bilateral collaborations in connectivity projects in the fields of energy, transportation, and digital infrastructure to be addressed in a multilateral arena. The official stated that economic growth, new infrastructure investments, and energy security, which Turkey prioritizes, are highlighted within the scope of the Initiative, adding, "In this context, the reconstruction of Ukraine and the improvement of infrastructure will also be one of the main agenda items of this platform. Additionally, another important aspect of the mentioned initiative is the interaction with the private sector to achieve progress with concrete projects, and a Business Forum is held in parallel with each Summit," he stated.