Our interview. Prof. żurawski: Three -Sea can bury the lack of involvement of the government. Let’s not be illusive about the nature of this political game

“I have to admit that we can at least expect a breakdown in the Tri -Miller project, which was a very good idea, “says Prof. Przemysław żurawski Vel Grajewski in an interview with the Portal The nature of the political game, that happens in fact, our interlocutor says our interlocutor.

Also read: Tri meter peak in Warsaw. President of the Republic of Poland: I am proud to say that the past decade has converted an ambitious idea into reality

Wpolityce.pl: 10 years have passed since the founding of the Three Seas Initiative. At the Warsaw top of guests of 12 presidents of Central European countries and the American Secretary of Energy. What does the lack of interest in this case of the Donald Tusk government mean?

Prof. Przemysław żurawski aka grajewski: I think we unfortunately see the end of this project because of the position of the current Polish government. Minister Radosław Sikorski did not mention his parliamentary exhibition on the Tri -Morza at all, and yet Poland is an important state initiator of this project, a country with the greatest potential with a strategic geographical location. In short, it is impossible to continue the TRI meter project without Poland’s involvement. Moreover, the second largest in this team of countries of Romania is now paralyzed by the presidential crisis. So we don’t have a natural leader. Of course, history does not end here and something can always happen, but unfortunately I have to admit that we can at least expect a malfunction in the Three Seas project, which was a very good idea.

Has this idea yielded specific results?

Creted in 2015 by the joint initiative of the presidents of Poland and Croatia, Trójmora had three dimensions and of course it should not be confused with the pre -war concept of Międzymorze. Let me remind you that in the intention three seas assume the collaboration of EU countries from this region in the field of infrastructure development in three areas. It was a transport dimension in a special way, where there is a flagship project through Carpatia. In Poland, carpatii has already been very advanced and realized in around 80 percent. Romania has already secured money for this and they have already started the first.

Probably the most managed to get when it comes to energy.

Great successes were achieved here, so that the dependence on the north of the Carpathians was lost, by building the LNG terminals in świnoujście, on the island of Krk in Croatia on Adriatic and in the port of Konstanca in Romania in the Black Sea. Added to this were the terminals that float in the Baltic situations and the disconnection of the Baltic States of the Post -Soviet energy system and accompany themselves in the European system. This was done thanks to the expansion of energy infrastructure on the Polish-Lithuanian border and thanks to interconnectors on the border with Slovakia and the Czech Republic. It is worth emphasizing that the interconnector at the Polish-Ukrainian border, ie in Hermanowice and in Bliche Volytsia, only requires cosmetic work. All these decisions are increased during the first presidency of Donald Trump, thanks to the Polish-American-Ukrainian agreement of presidents on the transit of American gas via Poland to Ukraine.

And digital communication?

Digitization is not only computers and networks, but also the problems of controlling rail and aviation traffic, ie preventing disasters and matters related to anti -boat monitoring. It is also faster research into regional demand and better exchange of goods.

You talk about the end of the project, and yet Greece became only seriously two years ago at the Three Seas, which treats this project very seriously. Is this not the new opening of this initiative for the next basin, the Mediterranean Sea?

In 2023, Greece closed at the top in Bucharest to the three seas, which is finally that it is so -called Old West, although it still has a bad press because of the debt crisis of 2008. As part of the research team of the Polish Academy of Sciences, professor Agnieszka -StankAzek, we have visited a number Bratislava, Prague, Boeke, Budapest, Vilnius and in Athens, the local class of political class and academic communities to the three seas. Nowhere was it sober and so refined in detail to the three seas as in Greece. They know well what they want and why they joined the Three Moist. I think they have given him a very important boost. First of all, opening the three seas for the Mediterranean basin, ie not only the adriator, but also the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. We remember that there are important Greek ports, from Pireus via Kavala, to Aleksandropolis and Sloniki. From the latter harbor comes via Carpatia to the Lithuanian Kajpeda. If we treat this route as a spine, it can be said that the ribs to Romania, Poland from Ukraine – to LVIV, Kowel and Kiev.

Where should you look for the reasons to create such a relationship of states?

The source of the establishment of the entire concept was a statement regarding certain economic realities. It turned out that four countries from this group of 13 tri -meter countries are the largest market for the strongest EU economy, ie German. It is on this market that Germany exports more than to the United States, France and even China, and even with 600 percent. More than for the Russian market before sanctions. The demand was established because we are such a great market for Germany, why are we not such a good market for each other? The answer to this question was clear because there is no sufficient transport and communication infrastructure in our region. When this infrastructure developed in Western Europe, the countries of this region were still among the Russian Empire or the Austrian-Hungarian Empire, or the Kajzerian Reich. And later, Soviets and highways and railway lines were created adapted to the economic, military, cultural and civilization needs of those centers: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Berlin and Vienna. The geographical barrier of the Carpathians was not started, which must be broken for transport, so that there is a free exchange of goods. In this situation it became clear that you should expand the infrastructure on the North-South line, not the East-West, because they have always been done by Germans with the Russians, for the needs of their company. It was believed that breaking this infrastructure restriction would be a serious development impulse for this region. This is what happened. It is all due to Poland and thanks to this idea.

Was this new infrastructure especially useful after the outbreak of the war of Ukraine?

Precisely. From 2022, ie from the time of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the transport of military equipment from the south is carried out by Poland along these roads. Roads are not only important for the movements of troops, but especially for military supplies. The range for Ukraine from the south goes through Poland, because this is much easier than by breaking narrow roads along the Carpathians. Via Carpatia will have many troops that go past a possible front in the case of a conflict. In addition, major prospects for cooperation in the field of strengthening industries of the three Seas countries with Scandinavia are also open, so that this industry is highly developed. Although Ukrainians often heard from Germans and Americans that they are not allowed to use some weapon against Russia, because it will be escalation, they cannot hear such words from Scandinavians. They are loyal to their own national rule than the conditions of Brussels.

If it is so important and profitable, why can it fall apart?

The entire concept of Trómer is clearly competitive for German and Dutch ports, so it should now be expected to suppress it. If we develop oder and road communication to ports in the Baltic States, part of the load of Lubeka, Hamburg and Amsterdam would go to our ports. Ukraine and Moldova have a special status of countries that work with the Threeos. We are very interested in Japan as an important investor for this region. Romanes tried to interest Singapore, not without success, because in 2023 there was a strong delegation of the Persian golf countries at the top in Bucharest. You can also think about incorporating Canada in collaboration to finance further serious infrastructure investments in this region. Neither the EU or Germany will want to give the right funds for this purpose, and the Three Seas countries will not generate them in the right size.

So without the US and Polish commitment, nothing will happen?

Unfortunately, the Trójmora is now shining with reflected light. You should not have an illusion about the nature of the political game that happens around this initiative, because it is in fact competing for German interests. In the current government he has no volunteers for a political collision with Germany, such as for the boards of the United Right and American support. When Donald Trump arrived in Warsaw in 2017 and supported the TR people, Romania, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, ie countries that are afraid of Russia were immediately activated. However, if America starts to withdraw from this project – for various reasons – and at the same time the Polish government will no longer be a distributor of American support, the case will fall. There is no government in Poland that wants to collaborate with the US in this project.

Thank you for the interview.

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