The Three Seas Initiative has been dubbed a new Marshall Plan for Central and Eastern Europe. Promising buy-ins from Three Sea Initiative members, including Poland and Romania, will be matched with up to 1 billion USD by the United States. The aim of the Three Seas Initiative is to contribute to the economic development of Central and Eastern Europe. The Black Sea is partially covered by the initiative through the membership of Romania and Bulgaria, but the region's strategic importance as the connection point between Europe, Asia and the Middle East remains largely unaddressed. While Ukraine has recently expressed its interest in joining, US strategic allies and EU partners, Georgia and Ukraine as well as NATO member Turkey, are essential for the economic development and critical infrastructure that the Black Sea needs.
What role does the Black Sea play for Eastern European economic development and security? How can the Three Seas Initiative make a difference to the Black Sea region in terms of economic development? How can non-3SI members like Georgia and Ukraine buy in and benefit from the Three Seas Initiative?
Speakers:
Ian Brzezinski
Senior fellow, Transatlantic Security Initiative, Atlantic Council
Iulia Joja
Senior fellow, Frontier Europe Initiative, Middle East Institute
Mamuka Tsereteli
Senior fellow for Eurasia, American Foreign Policy Council
Ryan Olson, moderator
Senior fellow, Frontier Europe Initiative, Middle East Institute
Photo by DANIEL MIHAILESCU / Contributor via Getty Images