Central Europe Plays the Role of “Bridge and Cement” in East-West Cooperation

Polish President Andrzej Duda (R) receiving Tamás Sulyok at the Three Seas Summit

A strong Central Europe is not only of regional, but also of pan-European interest, Hungary’s President said on Tuesday in Warsaw, Poland, at a business forum on the occasion of the Three Seas Summit.

Tamás Sulyok took part in a panel discussion with ten heads of state and government of Central-Eastern European EU Member States, and subsequently told the Hungarian public media that the Three Seas Initiative plays a key role in Central European cooperation and that Hungary is committed to the initiative.

Central Europe, including Hungary, clearly plays the role of “bridge and cement” in the cooperation between East and West,

stressed the head of state.

In his speech at the business forum, Sulyok recalled that Hungary was one of the first countries to join the Three Seas Initiative Investment Fund in the fall of 2024. He emphasized that the country is committed to supporting growth-oriented companies, and wants to create a stable market-based infrastructure to facilitate the implementation of best market practices.

Recent geopolitical challenges have made it clear that energy security cannot be achieved in the long term without international cooperation and regional development, the President emphasized. He added:

Hungary has enabled access to energy sources from directions that also contribute to regional energy security.”

Sulyok pointed out that preparations are underway for the construction of the Slovenian-Hungarian natural gas pipeline, connecting the Hungarian gas supply network with all neighboring countries. The high-voltage power line connecting Slovenia and Hungary and the green energy projects are also notable successes.

With regard to the development of transport networks, the President highlighted the Via Carpatia transport corridor and pointed out that Hungary is the first country to have completed the national section of the project.

The Three Seas Initiative plays a key role in Central European regional cooperation
️
Hungary is dedicated to advancing the 3SI goals in building and developing

➡️transport,
➡️energy, and⚡️
➡️digital connections #3SISummit #3SI pic.twitter.com/LqGoKcWblX

— Dr. Tamás Sulyok (@DrTamasSulyok) April 29, 2025

Polish President Andrzej Duda stated at the Economic Forum that the ten-year existence of the bloc had “further developed the vision of the region” and that the member states were “more determined, more self-confident and better prepared to articulate common interests.” He thanked the United States, the bloc’s strategic partner, for its efforts to strengthen the grouping. The Polish head of state emphasized that the participation of U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright at the Warsaw summit on Tuesday was a sign of U.S. interest.

In addition to the Via Carpatia, Andrzej Duda named the Via Baltica transport corridor, the Rail Baltica rail corridor, the LNG ports on the Baltic Sea, and the Adriatic and the gas inter-connectors as the most important infrastructure projects in the region.

Currently, 13 EU countries are members of the Three Seas Initiative. Its strategic partners are the United States, Japan, Germany, and the European Commission. On Monday, Duda announced that Türkiye and Spain would also become strategic partners at the Warsaw summit. Two EU accession candidates, Ukraine and Moldova, are currently associate members of the bloc, and Montenegro and Albania will join them at the summit.

The summit was attended by the presidents of 12 countries and around 20 delegations. The plenary session of the summit took place on Tuesday afternoon at the Royal Castle in Warsaw.

Via MTI, Featured image: MTI/Bruzák Noémi