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President Rumen Radev: Implementing the Three Seas Priority Projects Will Be a Decisive Game Changer in the Sustainable Development of the Region and Europe

The Bulgarian Head of State opened the Sixth Three Seas Initiative Summit in Sofia

Implementing the Three Seas priority projects will be a decisive game changer in the sustainable development of our region and of Europe as a whole. The consistent increase in their number reveals the growing level of our ambitions, stated President Rumen Radev, who opened the Sixth Three Seas Initiative Summit today in the National Palace of Culture in Sofia.

The topic of the Summit is Three Seas Initiative: A Path to a Stronger, United and Competitive Europe. Those present  were the Presidents of the Republic of Estonia, Kersti Kaljulaid, of Hungary, János Áder, of the Republic of Latvia, Egils Levits, of the Republic of Lithuania, Gitanas Naus?da, of the Republic of Poland, Andrzej Duda, of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, of the Republic of Slovenia, Borut Pahor, of the Hellenic Republic, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia, Andrej Plenkovi?, Deputy Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Karel Havlí?ek, and the Deputy Minister of the Federal Ministry of European and International Affairs of the Republic of Austria, Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal. The Executive Vice President of the European Commission, Margrethe Vestager, also participated in the panel. The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, the UK First Secretary of State and Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab, the French Secretary of State for European Affairs, Clément Beaune, and the Japanese State Minister of Foreign Affairs, Takashi Uto, sent in their video messages.

In his speech, the Bulgarian Head of State pointed out that the increase in priority projects within the Three Seas creates the need to attract much more investment for implementing them. Therefore, it is necessary to develop clear and transparent criteria for identifying and financing priority projects on behalf of the Fund.

The topic our country brought up within the Three Seas Initiative on achieving greater regional connectivity in scientific research and innovations was also a focal point of the President’s speech. “Better cooperation in science, education, technology and innovations is a premise and guarantee for our prosperity, for our future development and for achieving competitiveness on the world economic and social arena.”

Mr. Rumen Radev lauded inviting the President of the Hellenic Republic at the initiative of Bulgaria as a guest at this year’s Three Seas Initiative Summit as a successful step. The Bulgarian President remarked that it was evidence of the efficiency of cooperation with the Initiative’s neighbourhood and the potential for achieving improved regional connectivity.

The Three Seas Initiative continues generating ideas and guidelines for accelerated development through better digital, transport and energy connectivity, as well as encouraging the strategic debate for the future of our region, the Bulgarian Head of State noted. The Summit in Sofia serves as evidence that the Initiative is developing as a unique tool for harnessing the power of cooperation for strengthening our own capacity to achieve growth and sustainability, the President said.

The Three Seas Initiative is recognisable within our region, and globally as well, Mr. Rumen Radev emphasised and expressed his gratitude to the Initiative’s partners – USA, Germany and the European Commission for their active participation at all events in Sofia.

Effectively implementing the trans-border and trans-regional approach in developing the European Multiannual Financial Framework as well as the National Recovery and Resilience Plans, using strong and wide-ranging tools for attracting capital and new partners and the participating countries’ commitment to the pledge to the Three Seas Initiative Investment Fund are among the topics of the Summit.

A Joint Declaration presenting the common political will for the future development of the Initiative was adopted during today’s Summit in Sofia.