Agenda

Opening words by moderator Gideon Rachman, Chief Foreign Affairs Commentator at Financial Times.

In this session, presidents of Three Seas countries will be answering one common question regarding the importance of the Three Seas Initiative to every individual country.

In addition, there will be country-specific issues tackled, for example about what the Baltic, Adriatic and Black Sea regions can gain from the initiative and how the initiative strengthens Europe.

We have come a long way in five years, and the Three Seas Initiative is now bearing fruit: cooperation is not only taking place at the level of heads of state, but also at the governmental level; eight countries have already joined or are in the process of joining the Three Seas Initiative Investment Fund (3SIIF) created last year; and Estonia has devised a vision of how to digitalise the region’s transport and energy infrastructure and to create a platform for economic growth driven by innovation. 

How do we move forward? What are the key challenges facing the initiative in its fifth year? What does it seek to accomplish in the year ahead, and beyond?

Virtual press conference and welcoming the next host of the Three Seas Summit in 2021.

Europe’s higher-than-average economic growth and its politically supported ambition to significantly enhance transport, energy and digital infrastructure in the Three Seas region have the ability to draw new investments here. Perfect examples of this are the successful launch of the Three Seas Initiative Investment Fund and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s pledge to contribute up to one billion dollars to the development of the region’s infrastructure. 

What are the latest developments in regard to the investment fund and what role do participating states see the investments playing?

Opening statement by the moderator of this panel, Urmas Reinsalu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia.

Overview and introduction to the Three Seas Initiative Investment Fund by Ms Beata Daszynska-Muzyczka, Chairperson of the Supervisory Board of the Three Seas Initiative Investment Fund.

Three Seas Initiative Investment Fund – operational basis, current status and fund’s activities and practical value.

Moderated live panel discussion with ministerial level representatives from countries that have shown considerable commitment to the 3SIIF: Poland, Romania, Estonia, Latvia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Slovenia, Croatia and the United States.

The discussion will be moderated by Urmas Reinsalu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia.

Fireside chat between U.S. Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Keith Krach, and Undersecretary for Political Affairs of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia Rein Tammsaar.

With Smart Connectivity, Estonia is offering solutions for the digitalisation and more efficient use of the energy and transport sectors. The aim of Smart Connectivity is to establish a growth platform for innovative services and to support economic growth based on innovation. This could ultimately lead to the automatisation of road transport and the smart transformation of electricity networks, allowing clients to simultaneously play the roles of energy consumer, producer and saver.

During this block, the focus will be on current trends and developments, the Smart Connectivity vision and the ways of implementing this bold approach in practice.