What is the Three Seas Initiative?
On January 20, the Foreign and Community Affairs Committee of the Chamber of Deputies approved resolution 7-00346, of which I am the first signatory together with my colleagues Billi, Coin, and Crippa. This is a parliamentary act that commits the Italian government to take the necessary steps for our country to join the Three Seas Initiative (3SI), a regional forum that brings together thirteen European Union member states located along the north-south axis between the Baltic, Adriatic, and Black Seas. This resolution represents a crucial step in repositioning Italy at the center of European trade and geopolitical dynamics, enhancing our infrastructure and strengthening our international role.
The Three Seas Initiative was launched in 2015 as a platform for cooperation between Central and Eastern European countries, with the aim of strengthening infrastructure, energy, and digital cohesion. Currently, its members include Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Hungary. The focus is on developing cross-border connections, such as highways, railways, gas pipelines, and digital networks, to reduce dependence on external routes and promote economic integration. Despite its relevance, Italy is not yet a member, an absence that seems anachronistic considering our national interests.
Three Seas, IMEC, and InCE: a “trident” for Italian projection
The resolution emphasizes how joining the Three Seas Initiative fits perfectly with other platforms in which Italy is already involved, such as the IMEC (India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor) and the InCE (Central European Initiative). IMEC is an economic corridor connecting India to Europe via the Middle East, promoting trade and investment in key sectors such as renewable energy and digital technologies. InCE, on the other hand, is a regional cooperation forum that includes Central European countries and is based in Trieste. By connecting these three areas – Three Seas, IMEC, and InCE – Italy could emerge as a “hinge” between the East-West and North-South axes of the continent. This does not mean abandoning the InCE, of which we are a founding member and primary sponsor, but rather adopting a dual-track approach: the INCE as an instrument of political-regulatory and diplomatic convergence; the Three Seas as an operational and investment-oriented platform.
In explaining the contents of the resolution, let us start with the premise: Italy has a vital interest in developing ties with Central and Eastern Europe. Trieste, in particular, could once again play a pivotal role, similar to that of the Habsburg era, when it was the main port of Mitteleuropa. Today, with the expansion of global trade, enhancing the port of Trieste would mean expanding opportunities for our businesses, facilitating exports to growing markets. The resolution commits the government not only to finalize its accession to the Three Seas Initiative as soon as possible, but also to promote interconnections between these initiatives, emphasizing Italy’s role as a strategic hub.
The importance of this resolution goes beyond the economic aspect. In a global context marked by instability—from conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East to trade tensions—Italy can aspire to a geographical centrality that translates into greater political influence. Being at the center of these corridors means influencing dynamics in the eastern Mediterranean, the Balkans, the Middle East, and even the Indian Ocean. Furthermore, infrastructure development could help stabilize conflict areas adjacent to the IMEC, promoting dialogue and reconciliation.
The benefits of joining the Three Seas Initiative
From an economic point of view, the benefits are clear. The Italian production system, based on exporting SMEs, would benefit from more efficient and secure routes. Consider exports of machinery, agri-food, and fashion to Eastern Europe: with enhanced connections, we could better compete with powers such as Germany, which already dominates these axes. Trieste, with its free port and unique logistical position, would become a hub for goods coming from Asia via IMEC, redistributed to Northern Europe through the Three Seas.
This advantage has been further strengthened by the recent inclusion of the port of Trieste in MSC’s Dragon service, which directly connects the Upper Adriatic to the east coast of the United States (via ports such as New York and Norfolk), creating a rare transatlantic bridge for a Mediterranean port and improving access to American markets for our northern exports. Unlike other Mediterranean ports, Trieste offers direct and efficient rail links to the industrial heart of the continent, making it a unique bidirectional hub.
Geopolitically, joining the Three Seas Initiative strengthens our energy sovereignty. In an era of green transition, the Three Seas energy corridors—including projects such as the Vertical Gas Corridor—could diversify supplies, reducing dependence on unstable routes. By connecting them to the IMEC, which includes energy hubs in Saudi Arabia and Israel, Italy would position itself as a bridge between Europe and the Indo-Pacific, aligning with EU strategies such as the Global Gateway. In parallel, Italy’s commitment to the expansion of the port of Misrata in Libya – recently signed with the involvement of MSC and Qatari partners – strengthens its southern Mediterranean and Euro-African projection, further integrating its logistical centrality.
The security aspect should not be overlooked. In a Europe divided between West and East, Italy – historically a mediator – can contribute to greater cohesion by countering external influences such as those from China or Russia. The resolution also responds to an ongoing assessment by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as emerged from the response to question 5-04744 of November 27, 2025: it is time to move from words to deeds.
The role of the Machiavelli Foundation
The contribution of the Machiavelli Foundation deserves special recognition. For years, it has been pursuing this cause with foresight, analyzing in depth the opportunities for Italy and constantly promoting communication and dialogue with interested foreign partners. A prime example is the international conference “The Three Seas Initiative and Italy,” organized at the Chamber of Deputies on September 18, 2023, with speakers from Austria, Italy, Hungary, and the United States. Recently, the report The Three Seas Initiative. An option for Italy? (published on February 10, 2025) further enriched the debate, highlighting how joining the initiative could attract investment, strengthen energy security, and position Trieste as a central hub for north-south corridors, with significant economic and geopolitical benefits, especially in a context of growing US interest.
In conclusion, this resolution is not just a formal act, but a strategic vision for Italy’s future. By taking a proactive approach, we can transform our peripheral position into a central advantage, benefiting our economy, politics, and security. I call on the government to act promptly: Italy deserves to be a protagonist, not a spectator, in the great routes of the 21st century.