Connectivity and economic development - goals of project Dionysus and the "Three seas" initiative

This year Bulgaria is a coordinator of the "Three seas" initiative and on July 8th and 9th Sofia will host the annual meeting of the heads of state from the countries, which participate in it. The initiative has three main pillars – energy, transport and digital connectivity and aims to stimulate the economic development of 12 countries from the region between the Baltic, Adriatic and Black seas – Austria, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary, Croatia and the Czech Republic.

A number of concerns have been raised by the business at a preliminary transport conference within the initiative in Sofia held on June 8th, related to the investment opportunities in the development of transport corridors in the North-South direction, as well as specific questions related to the construction of additional bridges and facilities over the Danube between Bulgaria and Romania at Giurgiu (Romania) and Lom (Bulgaria). The project DIONYSUS, where the Bulgarian-Romanian Chamber works in a consortium with organizations from 9 Danube countries put emphasis on similar goals regarding the connectivity (especially in the Danube region). Main focus is placed on the development of the river and sea ports, their connection with the transport chains, as well as the creation of operating business models for qualitative and sustainable development of the region and mechanisms for attracting investments there.