The Economic Chamber of North Macedonia, in collaboration with the Institute for Strategic Initiatives and Policies, organized a panel discussion introducing the Three Seas Initiative. The discussion highlighted the opportunities for economic cooperation among its member states and its contribution to their economic development, with a particular focus on infrastructure, the inclusion of Western Balkan countries, and strengthening the north-south axis in Eastern Europe.

The Three Seas Initiative includes 13 EU member states located between the Baltic, Black, and Adriatic Seas: Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Greece.

“Regional cooperation will dominate the agenda in the coming period, particularly after the elections in the U.S.A., positioning our role as well. The seas are the reference points for drawing new lines of global interests. Without business, there is nothing, and business relies on two pillars: profit and risk. We've seen numerous significant regional cooperation initiatives originating from external actors, but they have not yielded results on the Balkan soil. If these initiatives are embraced by the Balkan countries themselves, they can shed new light on connecting businesses within this Three Seas triangle. Our chamber-led initiatives also aim to enhance cooperation among Western Balkan countries,” stated Branko Azeski, President of the Economic Chamber.

“Not every country can have its own port, but there are alternatives to address this issue. We attempted to gain ownership in the Thessaloniki Port, but that initiative failed due to 'high-level' politics. We seek active participation in such initiatives. The Balkans need to activate the driving forces of market economies in larger countries—those capable of opening markets for our companies, which should receive support. We need access to markets in Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the broader Balkans. Anything that can be identified as a driver of economic growth will have our support. Let’s not forget the need to complete our domestic tasks: combating corruption and the gray economy, ensuring energy and gas supplies, opening new markets for regional cooperation, and raising citizens' living standards. None of this can be achieved without increased export of value-added products,” Azeski emphasized.

These initiatives, Azeski noted, should integrate into global efforts like the Three Seas Initiative, demonstrating that the region is on the right track toward Euro-Atlantic integration.

The panel discussion featured former Ambassador Zoran Jolevski, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Zoran Dimitrovski, Senior Counselor to the President of the Heritage Foundation James Carafano, Regional Director for Europe at the International Republican Institute Paul McCarthy, President of the Serbian-American Congress and former Deputy Speaker of the Serbian Parliament Vladimir Marinković, and former Minister of Finance and Economy of Albania Arben Malaj.