On March 15, 2023 was held “Network of the Three Seas Regions – info session and networking opportunities” at the East Poland House in Brussels. The aim of the meeting was to present the objectives of the Network, to exchange experiences between the members and promote the idea of the Network. The event was hosted by the Marshal of the Lubelskie Voivodeship Mr Jarosław Stawiarski.
The event was attended by the Deputy Ambassador of Ukraine to the EU Mr Serhiy Tereshko, Chargé d’Affaires of Ukraine to the Kingdom of Belgium Ms Natalia Anoszyna, Representative to the NATO Supreme Allied Command Europe Mr Sławomir Mąkosa, First Secretary of the Polish Embassy in the Kingdom of Belgium Ms Maria Dąbrowska, First Secretary of the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Poland to the EU Ms Lilia Kamenowa, Chairman of the ECR Group and Chairman of the Abruzzo Region Mr Marco Marsilio, representatives of regions from Austria, Estonia, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Romania, Marshals of the Mazowieckie Voivodeship, Mr Adam Struzik, Podkarpackie Voivodeship, Mr Władysław Ortyl, Warmińsko-Mazurskie Voivodeship, Mr Gustaw Brzezin, and Małopolskie Voivodeship, Mr Witold Kozłowski, the Director of Business Science Poland in Brussels, Ms Katarzyna Lachowicz, and the Director of the PKP Representation in Belgium, Mr Tomasz Lachowicz, representatives of the Lewiatan Confederation in Brussels, the ERRIN Network and the European Academy of Region.
“It is not without reason, that we are meeting in Brussels to talk about the Three Seas Initiative. It is here that we would like to show what can be built by countries and regions, small and fragmented, but united for the common goal of bridging the infrastructure gap noticeable in Eastern and Central Europe,” said the host of the event, Marshal Jarosław Stawiarski.
During the presentation, the coordinators of the Lublin Office of the Newtork of the Three Seas Regions presented the idea and genesis of the Network, its main objectives and directions for further cooperation.
At the end of the programme, Marshal Stawiarski emphasised that the Network is not only joint lobbying for the improvement of infrastructure, but also joint projects in the fields of economy, digitisation, environmental protection and science and education, and invited the guests to the Three Seas Local Government Congress in Lublin May 16-17, 2023.
Participants at the event also had the opportunity to taste traditional Lublin cuisine prepared by KGW Wałowianki, and to listen to the performance by Miłosz Bachonko – a young, talented accordionist from Lublin, who has won many awards and released an album to his credit.
Launched in 2021, the Network of the Three Seas forms the basis for a lasting and stable partnership of local governments located in the area of the Three Seas Initiative. The founding members of the Network include 5 Polish voivodeships: Lubelskie, Podlaskie, Podkarpackie, Świętokrzyskie and Mazowieckie, 5 Romanian counties: Călărași, Caraș Severin, Dolj, Maramureș and Timiș, the Lithuanian counties of Alytus, Marjampole and Panevėžys, Prešovský kraj from Slovakia and the Hungarian Komitat Hajdú-Bihar.
As part of the project entitled ‘The Network of the Three Seas Regions – a tool for the cooperation between local governments in Central Europe”, financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland from the programme ‘Public Diplomacy 2022’, the tools necessary for the functioning of the Network were developed: the Agreement and Charter, the website www.3seasnetwork.lubelskie.pl and a report on the possibilities of cooperation between local authorities in the area of the Three Seas Initiative.
In addition, it is noteworthy that 7 new regions applied for admission to the Network: 2 regions from Romania (Regional Development Agency “Centru” and Hunedoara County) – as regular members and 5 regions from Ukraine (Lviv, Ternopil, Odessa, Rivne and Zakarpattia Oblast) – as associate members.
We cordially invite you to see a short video summarising the Event!
