Hello, everyone.
President Levits, Foreign Minister Rinkēvičs, thank you and all in Latvia’s government
for your leadership of the Three Seas Initiative over the past year, and for hosting this timely
summit.
I’m honored to have the opportunity to address so many heads of state and other distinguished
representatives from some of our closest allies and partners.
Since its launch in 2015, the Three Seas Initiative has always been about more than just boosting
investment in the region’s economic development.
It has been about building on the region’s shared interests and values – democracy,
transparency, the rule of law, free markets – and the recognition that the member states
are better positioned to expand opportunity if they are more connected with one another…with
the rest of Europe…and with fellow democracies like ours.
The United States has been invested in the success of this effort from day one, because
we know that the international rules-based order is stronger with a more integrated,
prosperous, and democratic Central and Eastern Europe.
The Russian Government’s war of aggression on Ukraine has made the work of the Three
Seas Initiative even more urgent – for all its members and partners, and for each of
the initiative’s areas of focus: energy, transportation, and digital communications.
Even before February 24th, achieving greater energy security required the diversification
of sources, supply routes, and types of energy.
The European Union’s embargo on Russian oil and its plan to significantly reduce Russian
natural gas imports has made this work a necessity.
Greater energy independence will make member states less vulnerable to the Kremlin’s
coercion.
And it will deprive the Russian Government of massive resources that it has used to helped
bankroll its attack on the independence of Ukraine – not to mention several other countries
in recent years.
Across the region, the path to energy independence is increasingly runs through renewable and
carbon-free energy.
This will move the region – and the world – closer to the targets our nations set
at COP26, which are vital to preserving our majestic planet and adapting to the changes
already affecting the region.
As President Biden so often points out, it also offers a once-in-generations opportunity
to create sustainable, good-paying jobs.
Second, President Putin’s war of choice has highlighted the critical importance of
strong transportation infrastructure.
The region’s roads, rails, and airfields have been used by NATO to move personnel and
equipment in order to reinforce the Alliance’s eastern flank.
They’ve been used to get life-saving humanitarian and security assistance into Ukraine; and
to get nearly six million civilians out of Ukraine – most of whom have found refuge
and remarkable generosity in your countries.
And finally, as the Russian military continues to block Ukraine from exporting grain by sea,
this same transportation infrastructure is increasingly vital for getting food out of
Ukraine, so that it can reach tens of millions of people at risk of starvation in the growing
global food security crisis.
Third, Russia’s aggression is a stark reminder of the need for strong digital communications
networks in the region.
For years, the Russian government has exploited digital network vulnerabilities to undermine
democracies, including in the Three Seas region.
Since launching its war on Ukraine, the Kremlin has deployed cyber attacks to target the country’s
government and civilian infrastructure.
The fact that these networks are also used to share sensitive information among Allies
and partners makes their security and resilience all the more crucial.
In each of these three priority areas, Three Seas Member Countries are taking meaningful
steps, often with the support of the United States.
To give just a few examples: Poland has invested in the Baltic Pipeline to import Norwegian
gas via Denmark, fully ending its reliance on Russian imports.
Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia stopped importing Russian gas, and have committed to increasing
green energy production.
Romania passed legislation that will keep untrusted vendors out of the development of
its 5G network.
We’re working across the region to support the development of safe, clean, and affordable
nuclear energy – from providing technical support to helping develop projects with U.S.
reactor technology.
And in nearly all of the Member States, the U.S. private sector has long been the largest
source of foreign direct investment outside of Europe.
Some of America’s most successful companies are taking part in the summit’s Business
Forum, which is testament to the prospects they see in the region.
We are stepping up to do more.
The CEO of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, Scott Nathan, is leading
our interagency delegation to this year’s summit, and will address the group shortly.
I’ll leave the announcement to Scott, but I’m pleased to share that the DFC will be
providing major new financing for the Three Seas Investment Fund, which will catalyze
even more private investment in the region.
There’s a reason that President Biden, Vice President Harris, Secretary of Defense Austin,
Commerce Secretary Raimundo, and I – among so many others in this administration – have
traveled to the Three Seas region in the last year.
We know this effort matters more now than ever.
It matters for advancing the long-term prosperity of Central and Eastern Europe.
It matters for strengthening a Europe that is united, democratic, and free.
It matters for deepening the resilience of Allies on NATO’s Eastern Flank.
And ultimately, it matters for showing that – if we work together – democracies can
deliver on meeting the most fundamental needs of our people.
For all those reasons and more, I wish you a very productive summit.