Three Seas Initiative leaders reaffirm commitment to Ukraine, welcome Moldova as associate participant
The presidents and high-level representatives of the twelve countries participating in the Three Seas Initiative (TSI) adopted a joint statement at their summit in Bucharest on Wednesday, reiterating their condemnation of Russia's brutal war against Ukraine and reaffirming the importance of the platform for strengthening the resilience of the region by improving connectivity, Agerpres reports.
"We reaffirm the importance of the Initiative to strengthen the resilience of the region by improving connectivity. A year and a half after the start of the Russian Federation's brutal war of aggression against Ukraine and the geopolitical turmoil it has generated, the validity of the I3M concept and the urgency of implementing its objectives have been proven," the leaders' statement said.
They reiterate their condemnation of Russia's brutal war against Ukraine.
"We reaffirm our unwavering support for Ukraine, its sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of the devastating consequences of Russia's war against the country and its people. We reiterate that Russia must immediately and unconditionally withdraw all its military forces and equipment from Ukraine. We remain committed to providing continued support to Ukraine for as long as necessary. We stress that all those who have committed war crimes and other very serious crimes, including the crime of aggression in Ukraine, will be held accountable. We are committed to playing a key role in the reconstruction of Ukraine, taking due account of all EU and international efforts," the document states.
I3M leaders acknowledge the efforts of the Republic of Moldova to resist increasing pressures in a dramatically changed geopolitical and geo-economic reality and welcome the country as an I3M Associate Participant alongside Ukraine.
"We look forward to strengthening and diversifying our cooperation in joint projects to promote strategic interconnectivity in the I3M region and with our Eastern European neighbours, thereby facilitating their integration into the EU. We also welcome the granting of EU candidate country status to Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. We acknowledge the substantial commitment and efforts of Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova to meet the necessary conditions in the EU accession process and encourage both countries to continue on the path of reforms, including on the basis of the recommendations of the Venice Commission. We will continue to support these countries on their path to EU membership", the statement added.
The leaders recognise the potential of the I3M to complement EU policies in bringing the Western Balkans, Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia closer to the EU on the basis of common merits and values, including by involving these countries in the implementation of I3M regional infrastructure projects, thus investing in interconnectivity, expanding EU corridors in energy, transport, digital technology and telecommunications and accelerating the green transition.
"We also welcome the granting of EU candidate status to Bosnia and Herzegovina and the holding of the first Intergovernmental Conferences with Albania and North Macedonia. We reiterate a strong message of support and encouragement to the EU aspirants for further reforms on the road to EU membership," the source added.
The Presidents and high-level representatives of the countries participating in the I3M underline the importance of developing cooperation within the Initiative with strategic partners - the European Commission, the United States of America and the Federal Republic of Germany - and encourage their increased role in achieving the Initiative's common objectives.
They reaffirm that strengthening the resilience of dual-use infrastructure in the region for increased civilian and military mobility on the North-South axis, in line with the EU Military Mobility Action Plan, is a political objective as well as a responsible investment in our secure future.
Leaders also stress that US financial involvement and support in the implementation of strategic regional connectivity projects is essential in the current geopolitical environment, acting as a crucial factor for the success of strategic interconnection, energy diversification and the overall achievement of the I3M objectives.
They invite all stakeholders to cooperate in order to attract the necessary financial means for the implementation of the strategic projects of the I3M.
Leaders acknowledge in the document the existence of many attractive investment opportunities in the 3SIIF portfolio and the success of the initial Investment Fund.
"We strongly encourage the creation of a successor financial vehicle, building on the success of its predecessor, and other core sponsors of the 3SIIF to join, as a swift action to mitigate macroeconomic challenges in the region, directing investments into a successor green investment-oriented infrastructure fund, and continuing to attract resources to finance a wide range of projects across the I3M region. We also take note of the intention to launch an I3M Innovation Fund that could address the growing need for investment in innovative cross-border projects, allocate more investment in technological breakthroughs and strengthen the innovation ecosystem across the I3M region, in line with European priorities for a sustainable and technologically advanced economic transition," the paper adds.
The leaders reaffirm their commitment to work together for connectivity in science, education, technology and innovation to ensure a more sustainable future development for the Three Seas Initiative region.
"We express our readiness to develop innovative projects for a resilient regional infrastructure, including with special invitees, and to contribute on a voluntary basis to the financing of technologies and deployment of renewable energy sources as reflected in the Joint Declarations of previous Summits," the joint statement said.
Leaders commit to strengthening the resilience and cyber security of the region to support the development of strategic infrastructure interconnections and digital networks and services among the I3M countries.
"As part of this process, we will actively support and promote the principles of an open, secure, stable, accessible and peaceful information and communications technology environment, as well as the rules, norms and principles of responsible behaviour of states in cyberspace," the document states.
The document welcomes the high-level participation in the Summit and the I3M Business Forum in Bucharest of the I3M strategic partners - the European Commission, the United States of America and the Federal Republic of Germany - as well as special guests France, the Hellenic Republic, the Republic of Moldova, Japan, the Republic of Turkey, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the European Investment Bank, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Leaders also welcome support for the vision and operational objectives pursued by the I3M from countries such as France, Japan, the Republic of Turkey and the United Kingdom, as well as from public and private institutions and enterprises in the I3M region and beyond.
Leaders welcome the Hellenic Republic as the 13th participating country in the I3M.
