The Slovak Republic currently holds the Presidency of the Three Seas Initiative (3SI), a prestigious political and economic platform bringing together countries between the Adriatic, Baltic, and Black seas. Connecting a population of 120 million, the region has significant economic potential.
The Slovak Presidency will culminate in the 12th Three Seas Initiative Summit, which will take place in Bratislava on 28–29 April 2027. The event will bring together heads of state and government, representatives of 3SI participating countries, associated participating states, strategic partners, international financial institutions, and special guests. As part of the summit, the 9th Three Seas Initiative Business Forum will be held.
The Slovak Republic assumed the Presidency with the aim of strengthening economic and infrastructure connectivity, promoting growth across the Three Seas and the European Union, and deepening transatlantic cooperation.
Slovakia lies at the heart of the region, at the crossroads of north–south and east–west corridors. Development of the cross-border infrastructure is an important prerequisite for the economic growth of the region and the Slovak economy. During its Presidency, Slovakia intends to pay particular attention to water as a strategic resource of the future and to the importance of water resources in transport, energy, and the digital sector.
Under the leadership of the President of the Slovak Republic, Peter Pellegrini, the Slovak Presidency will focus on several key areas.
The first is the strategic location of the Three Seas region and support for the development of digital, transport, and energy infrastructure. The participating countries share an interest in developing infrastructure along the north–south axis, stretching from Estonia to Greece. The aim is to strengthen cross-border coordination and ensure that national projects are interconnected. An important component will also be the development of dual-use infrastructure, which, alongside improving services for citizens, helps to enhance the resilience and security of the region. Emphasis will also be placed on developing energy infrastructure based on low-emission sources and improving the region’s connections to global markets and international trade routes.
The Slovak Presidency aims to make the region more attractive to new investment, foster innovation, and strengthen its competitiveness. Innovation is essential not only for traditional industrial sectors. It is also crucial as foundation for new sectors of the future economy.
Artificial intelligence will be one of the main topics. Countries with stable nuclear energy power sources, including Slovakia, enjoy a natural advantage in this field. Attention will also focus on innovation in dual-use technologies, cyber resilience, and space technologies.
Slovakia will seek to connect successful innovations with global capital and explore new financing opportunities for projects across the region, including in Slovakia. Cooperation with partners, international financial institutions, private investors, and banks will be crucial in this regard.
The accompanying Business Forum will be one of the largest events of its kind in the region. It will bring together heads of state, government representatives, business leaders, financial institutions, and investors. Its aim is to create opportunities for the domestic businesses to participate in cross-border infrastructure projects, support the region’s innovation potential, and establish contacts with international companies and investors.
The Three Seas Initiative is a political and economic platform focused on supporting energy, transport, and digital infrastructure in the region between the Baltic, Black, and Adriatic seas.
In addition to Slovakia, the participating countries are Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Lithuania, Latvia, Hungary, Poland, Austria, Romania, and Slovenia. The Initiative’s Strategic Partners are the European Commission, Japan, Germany, Spain, Türkiye, Italy, and the United States. In addition, the Initiative has four associated participating states: Albania, Montenegro, Moldova, and Ukraine.
The Three Seas Initiative contributes to strengthening regional, European, transatlantic, and intercontinental connectivity and cooperation. It also promotes the region’s competitiveness, economic growth, and resilience, thereby helping to strengthen cohesion within the European Union, its internal market, and its strategic resilience.
Slovakia holds the Presidency of the Three Seas Initiative: President of the Slovak Republic Peter Pellegrini will convene the 3SI summit in Bratislava
