News: India’s External Affairs Ministry discussed connectivity and infrastructure cooperation with Croatia’s envoy for the Three Seas Initiative during Raisina Dialogue 2026 in New Delhi.
About Three Seas Initiative (3SI)
- The Three Seas Initiative (3SI) is regional political and economic cooperation platform connecting 13 European Union countries located between the Baltic, Adriatic, and Black Seas.
- Established in: The initiative was established in 2015 by the former presidents of Poland and Croatia.
- Aim: The initiative aims to foster North–South connectivity and overcome the Soviet-era dominance of East–West infrastructure, thereby addressing structural disparities in the post-Cold War European context.
- Members: The member states include Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia.
- Strategic partners: Strategic partners include the United States, Germany, the European Commission, and Japan, while regional partners include Ukraine and Moldova.
- Key features
- Connectivity infrastructure development: The initiative focuses on developing transport corridors, highways, railways, ports, and logistics links connecting the Baltic, Adriatic, and Black Seas.
- Economic integration: Improved connectivity helps expand trade, investment, and economic cooperation among Central and Eastern European countries.
- Energy security enhancement: The initiative promotes diversified energy sources and infrastructure to reduce reliance on single energy suppliers.
- Digital connectivity promotion: It encourages the development of broadband networks, digital infrastructure, and innovation cooperation across the region.
- Investment support mechanism: The Three Seas Initiative Investment Fund, established in 2019, provides financial support for infrastructure projects.
- Business and investment cooperation: Three Seas Business Forums provide a platform where companies, financial institutions, and organisations collaborate on transport, energy, and digital projects.
- Significance: The initiative helps reduce the infrastructure gap between Western Europe and Central and Eastern Europe while strengthening economic cooperation and connectivity.
