Georgia’s Potential Membership in Three Seas Initiative (3SI)
PMC Research recently contributed to a collaborative report in anticipation of the Three Seas Initiative Bucharest Summit,” prepared by the European Institute of Romania (EIR). The Three Seas Initiative (3SI) aims to enhance connectivity and cooperation in the Baltic, Black, and Adriatic Sea regions. In the report, PMC Research focuses on Georgia’s potential future membership in the 3SI.
Overview of 3SI
The 3SI is a regional effort involving 12 EU member states. Since its launch in 2015, the 3SI has been a flexible political platform, generating funding and deepening cooperation. Its goals include creating a north-south corridor in the region, stimulating economic development, and reducing regional disparities. Complementary to the EU, the pillars of the 3SI are supporting economic growth, strengthening European cohesion, and consolidating transatlantic ties.
Exploring Georgia’s Potential 3SI Membership
In the report, Irakli Sirbiladze, affiliated researcher at PMC Research, provides insights into Georgia’s possible 3SI membership. His chapter “Three Seas Initiative and Georgia: Win-Win Partnership Potential,” urges closer cooperation between Georgia and the 3SI. Mr. Sirbiladze proposes granting observer participant status to Georgia, Ukraine, and Moldova, and involving them in 3SI decision-making processes. He recalls that the 2022 3SI Summit Declaration acknowledged the EU aspirations of these three states. Looking ahead, he added that the 2023 Bucharest Summit could see political commitment to their 3SI membership being expressed.
“As Georgia’s European perspective was confirmed following Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, forging closer cooperation with the 3SI is possible. 3SI membership could expand to Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova. This could be done initially by offering observer participant status to the three states, and inviting them into the 3SI’s decision-making frameworks. That would fit with the overall EU logic, as the EU Transport Community has taken a similar approach vis-à-vis these countries. The 2022 3SI Summit Declaration recognized the EU aspirations of Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova, while the 2023 Bucharest Summit could see a political commitment being made to welcoming them into the 3SI in the future”
stated Mr. Sirbiladze.
Romania’s Leading Role and Future Cooperation
Romania, a 3SI member state, hosts the summit in September 2023, which will propel cooperation to the next stage. Pertinently, the collective report published ahead of the event brings together contributions from experts representing each 3SI member state. Its members include Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Slovakia. Moreover, insights were gleaned from experts representing partner and potential future member states (Georgia, Greece, Moldova, and Ukraine). These allowed comprehensive exploration of national perspectives on future cooperation and synergies amid the EU’s connectivity agenda.
Follow the link here to read more about the publication: Anticipating the 2023 Three Seas Initiative Bucharest Summit. Advancing the common agenda
