ZAGREB, April 29 (Xinhua) -- The two-day Three Seas Initiative (3SI) summit concluded in Dubrovnik, Croatia on Wednesday, with participating countries signing nine cooperation agreements aimed at strengthening energy, transport and digital infrastructure across Central and Eastern Europe.
The summit brought together leaders and senior officials from 13 European Union (EU) member states, along with global partners, to deepen strategic cooperation in key sectors.
According to Croatian State Television, participants highlighted the region's growing strategic importance within the EU and said the initiative is entering a new phase focused on consolidating earlier efforts.
Among the agreements reached were projects spanning energy, technology and finance, including a plan to integrate Croatia's natural gas network with neighboring Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic stressed the urgency of modernizing infrastructure in the region, citing its economic potential and geopolitical significance.
"With a combined population of 120 million and a GDP of 3.5 trillion euros (4.1 trillion U.S. dollars), we have a historic opportunity to upgrade transport and energy networks while accelerating digital transformation," Plenkovic said on social media platform X.
He added that the Dubrovnik summit marks a shift from high-level political dialogue to the implementation of concrete infrastructure projects, aimed at enhancing Europe's resilience amid global uncertainties.
Launched in 2015, the Three Seas Initiative comprises 13 Central and Eastern European countries: Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. Together, they represent more than a quarter of the EU's population. ■