Brzezinski for BGNES: "Three Seas" is a pro-European project, it needs a Secretariat

The Three Seas Initiative is a pro-European project, but it needs to be institutionalized. For that purpose, a secretariat should be set up, to support the implementation of the infrastructure and energy projects which will be implemented. ”Three Seas” is a leverage for a powerful partnership.

This was stated in an exclusive interview for BGNES by Jan Brzezinski, a resident Senior Fellow of the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, The Atlantic Council, United States of America. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Europe and NATO Policy (2001–2005). Jan Brzezinski is the son of Zbigniew Brzezinski, the President Jimmy Carter's national security adviser.

Mr. Ian Brzezinski, resident Senior Fellow of the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, The Atlantic Council, United States of America.

Mr. Brzezinski served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Europe and NATO Policy (2001–2005). His responsibilities included NATO expansion, Alliance force planning and transformation, including the enlargement of NATO membership in 2004 with Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia.

His commitment to the strengthening of partnership, economic development, security and democracy in Eastern Europe is highly appreciated.

Hello, Mr. Brzezinski!

The topic of our conversation today is the Three Seas Initiative for economic, energy, transport and infrastructure strengthening of the countries from Central and Eastern Europe, placed between Baltic, Adriatic and Black Sea, an idea proposed by the former Polish president Andrzej Duda in 2015.

The legacy from the Soviet era left this strategic region with significant infrastructure deficits, especially along the north-south lines. This gaps in energy and economics, that linger even today, left the region overly dependent on Russia and China.

All these influences interfere in the transatlantic alliance through energy coercion, abusive financial practices, compromised cyber hardware, hybrid warfare operations and the spread of authoritarian ideas.

Q: Mr. Brzezinski, how the Three Seas Initiative can contribute to overcome those deficites?

B. The Three Seas Initiative is an exciting undertaking.

But the democracy in Central and Eastern Europe in the region between the Baltic, Adriatic and Black sea is about the creating hard work EU membership that is essential is for truly single European market space. And true infrastructure development are the region promise not only to unhands its own growth, but the economic strength of Europe at all.

And promises to enhance economic resilience particularly in energy security by diversifying sources of energy supply, all these promises prosper more capable transatlantic community, better addressed, better capable to take on the challenges of today and tomorrow.

- Last year's I see that the many people think that the purpose of three seas initiative that controversial and some political analyst and argue that the three seas initiative he's a count of sanitary Cordon aimed and separating Rasta from Western Europe. Why is the three seas initiative is note on anti-Russian project?

B. It's a pro-European project. And I would argue that Central Europe is more connected each other the cities. Europe is going to be more prospel when central Europe is a better central partner, better trading partner with Russia. So ultimately and ironically, if you are a hard liner of Russia this is actually the benefit of Russia. The sense to be closer to Europe is better infrastructure, the facility trading investment.

- On February 17, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken voiced the President Biden administration's support for the Three Seas Initiative, saying in a video address to the Three Seas Ministers of foreign Affairs that: "Involving private business is a good way to launch large infrastructure projects".

I believe this support will strengthen Investments, Security and the Rule of Law in the Three Seas Initiative countries and their partners.

Q: Do You think, this is a signal to the private business in the United States to be more confident to invest in our region?

B. Absolutely. What is excited things about The Three Seas initiative is that it’s charging and fundamental new approach mobilising private capital, to drive infrastructure development, The Three Seas, in which Bulgaria has invested 20 million euro. This is the new international financial institution.That's going to do two things. Is going to spark light on the region by highlighting economic opportunity. And second - is going to service a validator for some investment practices, then is going to be extremely attractive not just in Central and Eastern Europe, but in modern Western Europe and North America and for that metter elsewhere around the world. I already sense this increased interest in South in a West funds, in a Middle East, in a Pacific and a western Europe. If park those all funds in a management of the commercial on the manager, that's going to invest that money in Tree seas architect infrastructure projects on a purely commercial basis. This is very exciting because everybody is going to be a winner. Because I am very confident this fund is going to be succeed. Bulgaria is going to get more than 20 million euro back in this investment, this will stimulate and drive some project in Bulgaria. The same will price Poland, Estonia, Slovakia in Slovenia. This is the very unique undertaking. And I bet you will going to service a model for infrastructure development elsewhere around the world - Africa, Middle East, America. And I bet that's going to become one of the important developments build back better for the world, lodged by G7. It's a real demonstration of Central European initiative in self-confidence. It's makes me particulary proud.

- According to some estimates, the region of Three Seas Inititives needs at least 5 billion of USD to launch susessfully the projects in the transport and energy infrastructure.

Q: In the following years, could we expect more Direct Investments, Joint Ventures and Private partnership coming from the USA, EU and other strategic parners?

B. I think absolutely yes and also for the private sector internationally. Because what the Three Seas Inititive does is the leverage of a power collaboration. Bulgaria only has a certain amount of weight the international marketplace. You could argue that Estonia has even the little less. Maybe Poland has a little bit more. But when they work together by the Three Seas Inititive, this 12 nations constitute in economy for the 1.7- 1.8 trilion dollars, a population of the 110 million people, a growth rate on average around 3 to 22-30%. And the seating of the infrastructure deficit the range will be between 600 billion dollars and a trilion dollars. So basically if you build it in a right please, it's going to be used, it's going to be towable, it's probably going to be profitable. Those kind of facts are mobilase and actualise this collaboration and true this collaboration the region is creating a real interesting private markets around the world. So yes I think Three Seas Inititive will be really attractive not just for his own region, but for Europe and also out of Europe.

- What strategic projects in the region of the Three Seas Initiative you can identify ?

B. I'm extremely excited about vehicleinfrastructure. In North-South highway that you're building. That's incredibly important because it takes two to four times the distance North in South, to the a South to the Western Europe. I think that will be a game changer. I'm tracking very closely the efforts to build it digital express highway, they will lick the entire region with a high-speed highly modern fibrooptic network. This is a real demanding in age for the moving in the 5G. That network will facilitate grater engagement within the region and international networks will go to the Middle East Asia and the North America. That will be exciting game changer.

- The Atlantic Council’s Europe organized on March 25, a strategy session on “Completing Europe: The Three Seas Initiative,” convened by General James Jones and Ambassador Georgette Mosbacher, Chairman and Co-Chair of the Atlantic Council’s Three Seas Programming.

The opening remarks were made by Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur, who restated the US commitment to investing 1 billion USD in Europe’s energy security through the Three Seas Initiative, and the decision of the US Development Finance Corporation to invest 300 million USD in 2021 into the Three Seas Initiative Investment Fund.

Q: Obviously, the energy security will be crucial for the countries in Three Seas Initiative in the aim of reducing from the dependence of Russian hydrocarbons. What is the vision in the USA about developing of the alternative sources of energy and what projects in our region could benefit of US support?

B. Very robust support Three Seas Inititive got from the Trump administrations and from the a House representatives in Congress. With a Biden transition is happy to see the new team in Washington it's coming in robust support. Secretary Blinken the first few weeks in office gave a powerful statement in Three Seas Inititive, he endorse this objective, he highlighted it as a new model of interesting public private partnership and he encouraged countries in entities to invest in in Three Seas Inititive fund. That's a powerful endorsement. I’m so confident that the billion dollars plug from the United States up to 1 billion dollars to initiative is very valant.

- Last year Congressman Adam Kinzinger introduced to the House of Representatives Resolution 672 to support the Three Seas Initiative and Investment Fund, but the Transatlantic Telecommunications Security Act (HR 8899) also. Meanwhile many Congressmen and high-level officials expressed confidence that the Three Seas Initiative would have a significant, constructive, and lasting impact on infrastructure security and digital sovereignty in transatlantic alliance. Additionally, China has used opaque debt-traps (in Montenegro case), environmental misbehavior (heavy industry in Serbia) and controversial investments through its Belt and Road Initiative to undermine Europe’s transatlantic cyber security.

Q: Thankfully, the is a high-tech solution coming from the transatlantic area. Do you believe the reasonable answer of the telecommunication threat from China is modernization of the European telecommunications network, and Three Seas region in particular, using the Clean Network and the Clean EU 5G Toolbox and what level of importance is that for the Euro-Atlantic security?

B. I think secure 5G are the your priority. And I can imagine that will be a number of projects for cross-border a 5G networks they are secure. I see 5G the higher of your agenda in digital dimension. And the fact is that legislated like a transatlantic telecommunications security in Capitol Hill reflects interests in this issue and is an important elements of the robust relationship between United States and Central and Eastern Europe.

- Bulgaria is a key partner in the Three Seas Initiative. Taking a chair in 2021, Bulgaria is a host of the annual summit and business/investment forum, that will be held on July 8 and 9 in Sofia. As a responsible and confident partner Bulgaria and its Presidency determined five priorities in the chairmanship: Consolidate and strengthen the Investment Fund of the Three Seas Initiative by increasing support from all Member States, as well as from strategic partners and international financial institutions; Promoting cooperation with strategic partners and opening the Three Seas Initiative to new partnerships; Continued focus on energy security and diversification; Offering intelligent solutions for the development of sustainable transport, energy and digital connectivity and Expanded connectivity in science, education, technology and innovation.

At present, the Three Seas Initiative has Investment Fund, transparently governed by Amber Infrastructure Group, but is not yet institutionalized and has no headquarter or secretariat.

Q: Mr. Brzezinski, the Bulgarian presidency of the Three Seas Initiative strives to do the best and you are very welcome to be a part of this important event in Sofia. Do you think that the Three Seas Initiative could be much more effective and successful through its institutionalization?

B. Yes I've been a long time advocate of creating Three Seas Inititive secretarial. It's operate with with an effort of more generally, more profits for the fund. Managers responsibility. I think that fund will be even more successful in attracting capital not just in the funds, but to the regions infrastructure projects, if it had a organisation and operates in 24/7 basis, that would highlight the region, that would serve as a posirory, as a library of different projects in the point of contact of the information of those projects. The Secretary can also be idea generator for Three Seas Inititive, that will be a track to the competitivehs of the region. To have a secretary from for example from 5 of 10 people based in one of the cities where is the core of the money, is perhaps Brussels, that team will be out there, cancelling engaging different policy institutes, different industrial forum government, high advice different funds around the world. That will give the initiative the light.

- Three Seas Initiative has an open platform. The picture of macroeconomic connectivity will not be complete without the other countries in the wider region between the three seas. In addition, Greece is very important for energy and transport connectivity along the south-north axis.

Q: By inviting Greece to join the initiative, the Western Balkans in the medium term, and in the long run, Belarus, Ukraine and Moldova, could we assume that we are strengthening the region from an economic and security point of view?

B. Absolutely. Three Seas Inititive is effective. The region will be more prosperative, it's going to be more economically resilient, it’s going to be more secure, more effective member in the transatlantic community. This is benefit of everyone.

- Mr. Brzezinski, I am very thankful for your commitment to liberty and infrastructure security in Central and Eastern Europe. You continued the great efforts of your outstanding father Zbignev Brzezinski to give a significant contribution for democratization of Eastern Europe.

Q: For final words, do you want to share with us some last statements of your father in respect of the future developments in Europe, that could encourage the democratic community in Eastern Europe?

B. My father was always a strong advocate of relationship between Central and Eastern Europe and United States. I don't think he was have a moment of doubts. He was thinking about the region t what else can be done. But wathever to do we need to do it now through Three Seas Inititive, which is basically a leverage of own capacity in generate value business opportunity, economical value, political value, but it's also flat for transatlantic community democracy. And I think he's looking down on us today and I bet he's very proud of the Three Seas Inititive. Because this is central Europe standing on its own contributing, on its own real value do the product of tne community democracy. And that is a success. /BGNES