Benedetta Girardi | Three Seas One Opportunity (3S1O) Conference

On June 4-5, 2024, HCSS strategic analyst Benedetta Girardi participated in the Three Seas One Opportunity (3S1O) Conference in Gdansk, an annual opportunity for an in-depth discussion on the importance of regional cooperation for security and the realization of the strategic interests of countries in the Three Seas region.

The Three Seas Initiative, established in 2015 is one of the largest geopolitical projects in Central and Eastern Europe, designed to integrate countries of the region within the European Union. The priority goal of this project that brings together 13 countries located between the Baltic, Mediterranean, and Black Seas is to strengthen the relations in the region in terms of economic development, energy security, transport infrastructure, and digital communication.

In the era of such intensive changes in the global balance of power, caused by the growing importance of Asian countries (especially China), Russia’s imperial aspirations, instability in the Middle East and Africa resulting in a problem of migration, as well as in the face of progressing climate change, the common challenges faced by the members of the Initiative go far beyond the economic aspects. Thus, the idea of intensification of cooperation between the Three Seas countries should also take into account the multidimensional threats to the security and stability of Central and East European countries which significantly affect the prospects for the implementation of the main economic tenets of the Initiative.

Therefore, the 3S1O Conference organized by The Opportunity – Institute for Foreign Affiars attempts to find answers to the most important regional challenges, and its topics evolve with international developments.

The 3rd edition of the 3S1O Conference, titled NEW WAVE, will focus on the positioning of the Three Seas countries on the changing map of global trade routes, as well as the search for synergies between the development of transport infrastructure (maritime and land) and the expansion of economic and defense capabilities in the region.