Room for Rome. Italy is not currently part of the Three Seas Initiative (3SI), a regional EU platform linking the Baltic, Adriatic, and Black Seas through infrastructure, energy, and digital cooperation.
- However, this absence is not irreversible, as Rome has strategic room to engage, especially as global connectivity becomes a defining geopolitical terrain.
Decoding the news. Backed by the United States and over €110 billion in active projects, the 3SI has grown into a dynamic format.
- The 10th summit in Warsaw at the end of April confirmed its expanding geopolitical relevance and appeal to new partners.
- A chance to fully integrate Italy’s logistics system into Europe’s evolving trade spine is emerging.
Trieste, Italy’s underused asset. 3SI (also known as Trimarium) has so far prioritised Rijeka as an Adriatic hub.
- But Trieste is a strategic port on the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), well-positioned on the North-South axis.
- Italian accession could reposition Trieste as the southern terminus of the Baltic-Adriatic Corridor.
Complementary, not competing. The 3SI complements, rather than duplicates, EU mechanisms, and it offers Italy a flexible channel for:
- resilient and intermodal infrastructure;
- diversified energy interconnections;
- digital and cyber cooperation.
A dual-track approach. Italy is a founding member of the Central European Initiative (CEI), based in Trieste.
- While CEI refers to diplomatic and regulatory convergence, the 3SI emphasises an operational and investment-driven approach.
- Together, they can elevate Italy’s regional leadership across the Adriatic and broader Europe.
Trieste as the IMEC-3SI juncture. Italy’s special IMEC envoy, Ambassador Francesco Maria Talò, held meetings on the sidelines of the recent 3SI summit in Warsaw.
- As the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEC) is gaining traction, Trieste could bridge:
- IMEC’s Mediterranean landing point;
- Trimarium’s continental corridors toward the Baltic;
- Europe’s drive for strategic autonomy in supply chains.
- In addition, Italy could strengthen its Mediterranean hub role by connecting North African and East Mediterranean flows to Central Europe and joining shared projects on LNG, renewables, and hydrogen.
The expert’s take. “A key reason for Italy to join 3SI is to avoid being isolated in the Mediterranean,” says Teresa Coratella, ECFR Rome office deputy director.
- She notes that Spain and Turkey were recently announced as strategic partners of the initiative, leaving Italy the only major Southern European country still on the outside.
- Coratella argues that this creates a risk of diplomatic underrepresentation as the initiative expands its geographic reach.
- She expert adds that the 3SI could serve as a valuable tool to support Italy’s ambitions in North Africa and beyond, especially within the framework of the Mattei Plan.
What we’re watching. Three Seas Initiative is not about symbolic politics–it’s a flexible, results-oriented format.
- Italy has an opportunity to reinforce Trieste’s strategic role, connect CEI and IMEC agendas, and embed itself deeper into Europe’s connectivity architecture.
