Romania’s interim president Ilie Bolojan outlines focus on connectivity and energy at Three Seas Summit

Interim president Ilie Bolojan emphasized connectivity and energy as Romania’s main priorities during his statement at the end of the Three Seas Initiative Summit, held this week in Warsaw, Poland. Speaking to the press, the Romanian leader highlighted the progress made over the past decade to bridge the development gap between Central and Eastern Europe and the West, noting that one of the initiative's major goals has been to enhance regional infrastructure and cooperation.

A central focus of Romania’s strategy is the development of the Via Carpathia corridor - a network of expressways and highways connecting Northern and Southern Europe, running through Romania from the Hungarian border to the Black Sea and down into the Balkans.

“On Romanian territory, the expressway corridor enters the country from Debrețin to Oradea, then heads south along the Arad–Timișoara route, and continues toward the Constanța area, extending further to Bulgaria via Calafat, to Serbia via Belgrade, and then into the Balkan Peninsula,” president Bolojan said.

He further mentioned that key sections of the expressway on Romanian territory, including the Arad-Oradea route, are moving forward. The first contract, for the Oradea-Salonta section, is expected to be signed in May. Other segments are either under review or being contested, while the Timisoara–Stamora-Moravița route is also in the bidding phase.

According to the interim president, if all goes as planned, construction on several segments could begin as early as this summer or autumn.

Another major priority, Bolojan said, is improving road and rail connections to and from the Port of Constanța. Strengthening these links, especially toward Central and Northern Europe, would help turn the Black Sea port into a major European hub, particularly in light of increased freight traffic caused by Romania’s Schengen accession and the war in Ukraine.

Energy security was also a key topic at the summit. Ilie Bolojan pointed to ongoing cooperation with the United States in developing Romania’s energy sector, including the construction of reactors 3 and 4 at the Cernavodă nuclear plant and plans for small modular reactors. These projects are intended to diversify Romania’s energy mix and provide cheaper, more reliable power in the future.

Bolojan also noted the expansion of the Three Seas Initiative, with Montenegro and Albania accepted as associate members, and Turkey and Spain joining the group of strategic partners alongside the US, Japan, Germany, and the European Union.