Türkiye becomes strategic partner in Three Seas Initiative

ANKARA/ISTANBUL

Türkiye has become the strategic partner of the Three Seas Initiative (3SI), according to Turkish Foreign Ministry sources.

The Three Seas Initiative brings together the presidents of countries located between the Adriatic, Baltic, and Black Seas to promote cooperation. The aim is to strengthen the European Union's cohesion by improving infrastructure, energy, and economic cooperation among Central European countries.

Member states approved Türkiye's application for strategic partnership at the 10th summit, which was held in Warsaw, Poland's capital, on Monday and Tuesday.

Applications for any status within the initiative can only be approved with the agreement of the participating members.

Türkiye previously attended the 9th Three Seas Summit, held in Vilnius on April 11, 2024, as a special guest, alongside the UK, Finland, Montenegro, Spain, and Israel.

The initiative has three levels of participation: participating members, which are limited to EU member states such as Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia; strategic partners, which include the European Commission, the US, Germany, Japan, and, now Türkiye, and are expected to provide financial support; and associated members, a category created for countries like Ukraine and Moldova.

As part of the initiative, Türkiye highlights its priorities in economic growth, new infrastructure investments, and energy security.

In this context, the platform's main agenda items will include Ukraine's reconstruction and infrastructure improvements.