Three Seas Summit and Business Forum meets in Vilnius

Lithuania will host the Three Seas Summit and Business Forum today in Vilnius.

The Three Seas Initiative (3SI) is a political platform aimed at increasing cooperation through dialogue among the thirteen EU states located between the Baltic, Adriatic and Black Seas. The forum’s geopolitical relevance grew significantly following Russia’s incursion of Ukraine. Today, representatives of member states will discuss means of further strengthening the organization against ongoing Russian aggression, especially in areas concerning transportation, energy, and defense.

Moving forward, the 3SI will likely expand its borders in the short-to medium-term. The group has already granted special status to Ukraine and Moldova in the pretext of “associated participating states”. This way, Ukraine will be able move politically closer towards Europe, which will be vital for its recovery. Expect the trend to reach out towards other states—such as Georgia. In addition, while the platform will invest towards future interconnection projects along the North-South axis, the most important accomplishment will be in innovation. It is highly likely the participants will agree to establish an innovation fund to help close their gap with Western Europe.