Agenda Ljubljana Convention and Exhibition Centre

Wednesday, 5 June 2019

11.00 Registration and gathering

13.00 – 19.00 13.00 3SI Business Forum Opening B2B Meetings

Energy Innovation - Ms Alenka Bratušek, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure, - Dr Jernej Pikalo, Deputy Prime Minister Slovenia and Minister of Education, Science and - H.E. Mr Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Sports, Slovenia - Mr Boštjan Božič, EFOS, Slovenia Foreign Affairs and Trade, (TBC) - Mr Miroslav Karaffa, ELCOM, Slovakia

13.30 – 15.00 - Mr Rick Perry, United States Secretary - Mr Grzegorz Nowaczewski, VPPlant, of Energy - Mr Martin Novšak, GEN, Slovenia - Mr Mark Pleško, Cosylab, Slovenia - Mr Izet Ždralović, MICROBLINK, - Mr Uroš Salobir, ELES, Slovenia - Mr Robert Krklec, CEO, Opskrba HEP Croatia Zagreb, Croatia - Moderator: Mr Ian Brzezinski, Atlantic - Moderator: Mr Janez Kopač, Director, Council, USA Energy Community, Slovenia

15.30 – 16.45 Presidential Panel

Digitalisation Transport

- Mr Rudi Medved, Minister of Public - Ms Violeta Bulc, European Administration, Slovenia Commissioner for Transport

- Dr Richard Raši, Deputy Prime Minister - Mr Vladimir Kremlik, Minister of for Investments and Information, Transport, Slovakia - Mr Rossen Jeliazkov, Minister of

- Mr Taavi Aas, Minister of Economic Transport, Information Technology and Affairs and Infrastructure, Estonia Communications, Bulgaria (TBC) (TBC) - Mr Talis Linkaits, Minister of Transport,

17.00 – 18.30 - Ms Margarete Schramböck, Federal Latvia (TBC) Minister for Digital and Economic - Ms Nina Mauhler, State Secretary, Affairs, Austria (TBC) Ministry of Infrastructure, Slovenia - Mr Klod Kolaro, Comtrade - Mr Joel Szabat, Assistant Secretary for

- Google Representative Aviation and International Affairs, Department of Transportation, USA

- Moderator: Mr Jean-Jacques Sahel, - Mr Dimitrij Zadel, President of the Vice President, Stakeholder Managing Board, Port of Koper Engagement & Managing Director – , ICANN - Moderator: TBA

20.00 Reception at the National Gallery - Hosted by H.E. Dr Miro Cerar, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia

Updated: 16 May 2019 Thursday, 6 June 2019

Side Events A EU Macro-Regional B 3SI Network of the C High-Level Meeting 8.00 – 9.30 Strategies Breakfast Chambers of on Three Seas Initiative Commerce Meeting Investment Fund* 8.30 – 14.00 (off site) B2B Meetings

9.30 – 11.00 Investment Talk Special - Mr Vazil Hudák, Vice-President, European Investment Bank (TBC) Presentations - Mr Jürgen Rigterink, First Vice President, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (TBC) - Mr Sibil Svilan, President of the Management Board, SID Bank, Slovenia - Ms Beata Daszyńska-Muzyczka, President of the Management Board, Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego (TBC) - Mr Adam Hitchcock, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Sovereign Infrastructure Group (TBC)

- Moderator: Mr Gorazd Renčelj, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Slovenia

11.00 – 12.00 Foresight: Artificial Intelligence Keynotes and interactive discussion - Dr Ivan Bratko, Head of Artificial intelligence Laboratory, Faculty of Computer and Information Science of Ljubljana University (TBC) - Dr Jure Leskovec, Associate Professor of Computer Science at Stanford University, Chief Scientist at Pinterest

- Moderator: Ms Ajša Vodnik, CEO, AmCham Slovenia; Vice Chair, AmChams in Europe

Leaders' Panel Strategic Discussion - H.E. Dr Miro Cerar, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia - Ms Ana Birchall, Vice Prime Minister for 's Strategic Partnerships, Romania - Dr Tomislav Ćorić, Minister of Environment and Energy, Croatia 12.00 – 13.30 - Mr Jerzy Kwieciński, Minister of Investment and Economic Development, Poland (TBC) - H.E. Mr Heiko Maas, Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs, (TBC) - Mr Zdravko Počivalšek, Minister of Economic Development and Technology, Slovenia - Mr Virginijus Sinkevičius, Minister of the Economy and Innovation, Lithuania (TBC) - General James L. Jones, Executive Chairman Emeritus, Chairman, Atlantic Council; Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

13.30 Closing Remarks

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The Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia Mr Marjan Šarec will host the second Three Seas Initiative Business Forum in Ljubljana on 5 and 6 June 2019. Business forum will be happening alongside with the Three Seas Initiative Summit hosted by the President of the Republic of Slovenia Mr Borut Pahor.

Three Seas Initiative Business Forum will be co-organized by the Government of the Republic of Slovenia (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia. Bilateral chambers of commerce that are present in Slovenia will participate in the organization of the Business Forum, which will focus on four key areas: energy, infrastructure, digitization and innovation, and involve the cross- cutting topics of transatlantic relations, security and water.

Business Forum will be attended by 500 participants from the private sector and governments of the Three Seas Initiative states. Further participants will include high representatives from EU institutions, US and Germany and business representatives from the wider region.

The Government of the Republic of Slovenia has advocated for an inclusive Three Seas Initiative that will support united Europe and strong transatlantic cooperation to tackle strategic investment projects in the region. Slovenia strives to ensure active and clear inclusion of the European Commission in the Initiative to strengthen EU cohesion and avoid risk of overlapping. We would also like to link Initiative’s efforts with the existing EU mechanisms and EU macro-regional strategies.

www.three.si

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Thematic Discussions at the 3SI Business Forum

A INNOVATION Innovation-Driven Development Effective transport connectivity is vital to economic growth and competitiveness. To guarantee the openness of the Trans- In 2018, the economic growth average in the 3SI region was European Transport Network (TEN-T) and its transport nearly twice as high as the EU average. However, as far as corridors, and their connections with third countries, implementation and scaling-up of innovation processes in all international cooperation is required to ensure quality, fields are concerned, international innovation indexes reveal environmental adequacy and security. How to channel that the 3SI countries frequently lag behind Western European investments to the much needed transport infrastructure countries. Consequently, to raise the productivity and increase connections in the region of the Three Seas Initiative? How to the region's competitiveness, it is vital to devote more ensure their sustainability and security? attention to this domain. Much of the infrastructure that will be needed in 2050 has not The long-term development perspective of the 3SI countries even been built yet. Inevitably, new technology will provide will depend mostly on their capability to foster innovation in new transport, energy and digital infrastructure solutions and the economy and implement it within the strategic projects in bring about entirely new social needs. In light of these selected thematic areas and beyond. The promotion of an developments, a revision of the Trans-European Transport enhanced innovative capacity would therefore help increase Network is planned for 2021, in which the current TEN-T Core the economic productivity in the region. Network Corridors must be adapted to the new mobility challenges, environmental standards and climate change, Innovation is the manifestation of human development including the needs of military mobility by road and rail and at through concrete solutions, and remains the driving force of airports and ports (dual use). progress. The countries must be aware of the importance of the infrastructure based on advanced new solutions, and not Enhanced cooperation and Trans-Atlantic engagement could on old technologies and concepts of the past. Promoting result in new business opportunities for the region, and innovation in all fields is crucial. introduce new views on, and solutions for, the emerging challenges of mobility and transport infrastructure. A number of smaller, state-of-the-art innovative projects, which are being implemented in and among the Three Seas C DIGITALISATION Initiative countries, have not yet gained sufficient visibility and Digital Transformation and Cyber Security may therefore be presented within the innovation debate. The long-term development of the region is possible only with Europe needs a balanced, modern and resilient digital simultaneous promotion of innovation in all areas, including in infrastructure to be able to keep pace with the rapid digital well-established industries, such as energy and transport. transformation and the opportunities it brings for the economy. In this content, an adequate level of cyber security is Development solutions should not be based on past or present essential. To adapt to the 21st century, the countries involved technologies; instead, they should consistently respond to new in the Three Seas Initiative must gain a deep insight into the development challenges. In this context, it is necessary to future of their ICT sector, digital policies/competences, digital discuss the methods for developing a business environment industry, artificial intelligence and robotics. that will foster cooperation between various stakeholders, with a view to accelerating the innovative capacity of individual Marked by an extraordinary rise in the transfer and processing countries and the region as a whole. of big data and device connectivity, the fourth industrial revolution requires strategically planned and harmonised The panel will focus on the innovative capacity of the 3SI horizontal policies. Artificial intelligence is becoming a reality. countries, present a variety of excellent innovative solutions, The advent of 5G network technology brings new possibilities and explore measures aimed at fostering innovation in all in the use of applications. The all-round use of artificial fields. Leading companies will have the opportunity to present intelligence installed on devices, in networks and in data their products, while the ministers of selected countries will clouds will bring new solutions and related new user talk about the promotion of innovation in their countries and experience. the possibilities of cooperation between the countries of the Initiative to ensure a comprehensive development of the The high performance 5G network will be the primary tool for region. connecting and transmitting information, which must guarantee an exceptionally fast data transfer while meeting adequate security standards. Autonomous driving, robotic B TRANSPORT telesurgery, remotely controlled production lines or real time Transport Connectivity and Resilience translation cannot be imagined without the synergy of artificial intelligence and 5G. 5G networks will be the cornerstone of Transport connectivity is vital for a balanced social and digital infrastructure. The pace of investment in 5G must be economic regional development. Quality transport enhanced and new innovative advanced technology infrastructure is a prerequisite for ensuring effective and environments must be created to strengthen the European sustainable mobility of people and goods; in the global identity and strategic autonomy in the field of technological context, it is a lever for demonstrating economic and, solutions. This will increase European competitiveness, which indirectly, political power. The control and ownership over will benefit the entire society. strategically vital transport hubs are burning political, economic and, inevitably, security issues. A great deal of attention will need to be devoted to security, as the enormous quantity of concentrated sensors and the Updated: 16 May 2019 ensuing databases will represent a great security challenge, not only in terms of supervision, but also of the ICT effects on Side Events physical space. High-Level Meeting on Three Seas Initiative

The numerous skills and comparative advantages of the Investment Fund participating countries need to be identified and channelled *4 - 5 June 2019, Hotel Four Points by Sheraton Ljubljana into the construction of digital motorways, to be deployed Mons. By invitation only. Hosted by SID Bank. along the designed infrastructure links on the Baltic Sea–Black Sea–Mediterranean axis. The enormous concentration of Three Seas Initiative Fund supports economic dimension of the sensors and the emerging big data databases give rise to Three Seas Initiative as an investment vehicle for financing key security challenges: How to ensure safe cyber networks, infrastructure projects in the region. The working group of resilient to hybrid and cross-border cyber threats? How can experts from national promotional banks and multilateral safe digital infrastructure contribute to energy security and the financial institutions will meet in Ljubljana and discuss open security of critical infrastructure? issues in regards to technicalities left before fund registration.

D ENERGY

Challenges and Opportunities of Energy Transition EU Macro-Regional Strategies Breakfast Sustainable energy use is one of the key factors in the fight against climate change and in efforts to preserve the A ‘macro-regional strategy’ (EU MRS) is an integrated environment. Through new technologies, energy is the key area framework endorsed by the European Council to address in the transition to a low-carbon society. In this field, five common challenges faced by a defined geographical area megatrends, i.e. decarbonisation, democratisation, relating to Member States and third countries located in the digitalisation, decentralisation or accessibility, and same geographical area in order to jointly tackle and find deregulation, will have to be embraced. Energy transition is solutions to problems or to better use their shared potential. the fundamental challenge facing today's society, i.e. how to produce a maximum share of energy from low-carbon sources EU macro-regional strategies address the same strategic while improving energy efficiency without a risk to the security topics as the Three Seas Initiative in the area of connectivity, of supply or the competitiveness of the economy. i.e. transport, energy, and digital issues, as well as other strategic issues requiring joint action, such as climate change, In ensuring the security of supply, natural limitations and water management, flood protection and green/blue limited resources have to be factored in, and overdependence infrastructure, competitiveness, innovation, skills, social on a single energy source avoided. The transition to low- development, capacity building, sustainable tourism, cultural carbon energy sources will bring new dependencies (e.g. cooperation, etc. import and limited supply of raw materials required by new technologies), the challenge of adjusting to renewable energy Through joint efforts, the participating countries benefit from intermittency and ensuring a stable operation of networks, and strengthened cooperation with a view to making their policies the question of energy storage. Issues with a social dimension more efficient than if they had addressed the issues in (e.g. closing down mines and thermal power plants leading to isolation. The implementation of the agreed strategic projects job loss and energy poverty) are particularly challenging. At the is more viable and investments more efficient and safer, as same time, they may open up new prospects, such as business they are pre-agreed and defined through strengthened cooperation and social development, new jobs with high added cooperation contributing to the achievement of economic, value, technological development through investment in social, and territorial cohesion in line with EU policies. innovation and science, and, last but not least, closer cooperation of countries in the attaining of their own and Four EU macro-regional strategies have been adopted thus far: common European or global objectives. (i) The EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (2009), (ii) The EU Strategy for the Danube Region (2010), (iii) The EU Strategy for The Three Seas Initiative countries may not share their vision the Adriatic and Ionian Region (2014), and (iv) The EU Strategy on how to attain low-carbon targets; nevertheless, they are all for the Alpine Region (2015). committed to the objectives of the Energy Union. The recent amendments to European legislation will be crucial to the The four macro-regional strategies concern 19 EU Member energy transition of the Member States and their meeting the States and 9 non-EU members, representing over 340 million Paris climate goals. At the end of November 2018, the people. All Three Seas Initiative countries are participating in European Commission presented its strategic long-term vision at least one EU macro-regional strategy, several in two or for a prosperous, modern, competitive and climate-neutral more. economy titled “A Clean Planet for All”. In 2019, the debate within the EU is expected to focus on the 2050 agenda. The European Commission plays a leading role in the strategic coordination of the strategy’s key delivery stages. In addition, How to harmonise the interests of countries with different the High Level Group on Macro-Regional Strategies, which geographic features, and the resulting advantages and includes representatives of all 27 EU Member States and non- limitations, and how to prepare these different energy systems EU members involved in the strategies, meets to consider the for attaining ambitious common goals? Enhanced regional overall approach for all EU macro-regional strategies. cooperation within the Three Seas Initiative region can have a positive effect on making the right decisions and achieving the In each participating country, national coordinators are goals set. responsible for the overall coordination of and support for the strategy’s implementation in their respective home country.

Different initiatives addressing the same strategic goals entail a potential risk of overlapping. However, when well-managed,

they present a great opportunity for synergy building and for

increasing efficiency in delivery. 5

4 WATER CORRIDOR DANUBE-ODER-ELBE Participants in the EU Macro-Regional Strategies Breakfast will Czech Republic exchange views on how to benefit from each other (EU MRS- 3SI), build synergies, and increase efficiency in addressing Project of a multifunctional inland waterway corridor common challenges of strategic importance between the connecting the Baltic Sea, the Black Sea and the North Sea Baltic Sea, the Black Sea, and the Adriatic Sea. including energy & water management functionalities. The presentation will focus on the current state of the project, Opening address: Ms Andreja Jerina, National Coordinator further steps to be taken & business opportunities linked with EUSDR, EUSAIR, EUSALP, Slovenia the project. EU MRS – scope and targets: Mr Jean-Pierre Halkin, Head of Unit Macro-regions, Transnational / Interregional Cooperation, IPA, Enlargement, Directorate-General for Regional and Urban 5 ROMANIA-HUNGARY-SLOVAKIA GAS CORRIDOR Policy, European Commission FGSZ Zrt. (Hungary) 3SI and EU MRS Synergies: Mr Radu Gorincioi, EUSDR National Coordinator, Romania The realization of the Romania-Hungary-Slovakia project would allow the gas reserves found in the Black Sea (RO) to Round table: Potential Use of EU MRS Deliverables for the 3SI reach Central Europe thus decreasing consumer prices and Strategic Goals and Vice Versa; Impact on Strategic significantly reducing Russian political and economic leverage Investments over the region. Mr Mitja Bricelj, EUSAIR Environmental Quality Coordinator, member of EUSAIR, EUSALP - Greening of EU MRS The consortium of ExxonMobil and Romania’s biggest oil and Mr Pierluigi Coppola, EUSAIR Transport Coordinator gas company OMV Petrom (owned by the Austrian energy Mr Sergio Garribba, EUSAIR Energy Coordinator group OMV) started offshore drilling operations in the Neptun Ms Reet Reismaa, EUSBSR Innovation Coordinator gas field (in the Romanian EEZ of the Black Sea) in 2011. The two companies have estimated a gas deposit of about 100 Ms Madara Zvirgzdina, EUSBSR Energy Coordinator (TBC) billion cubic meters and therefore have - according to press Mr Franc Žepič, EUSDR Transport Coordinator; member of reports - already invested close to USD 2 billion in exploration EUSAIR, EUSALP works. Given the size of the find and the expected competitive

price, the natural market for this resource is Central Europe. Moderator: Mr Anders Bergström, EUSBSR Hungary, a neighbour of Romania with a well-developed high

pressure gas transmission system designed from the outset for transit purposes, is best placed for becoming both a transit Special Presentations country and a customer at the same time. at the 3SI Business Forum 6 5G TECHRITORY 1 DEVELOPMENT OF DRONE TRAFFIC ON THE Electronic Communications Office of Latvia EUROPEAN AND INTERNATIONAL LEVEL Austrian Federal Ministry of Transport, Innovation and 5G Techritory is a new type innovative open platform for cross- Technology / Frequentis AG border, cross-level and cross-sectoral cooperation for the development of a sustainable 5G ecosystem in the Baltic Sea TBA. region in line with the European Commission’s Strategy for the Digital Single Market and the Nordic-Baltic digital cross-border cooperation policy and its 5G Action Plan for 2018-2020. The 2 LNG TERMINAL ON THE ISLAND OF KRK 5G Techritory created to facilitate development of innovative LNG Croatia LLC / Republic of Croatia business models, establishing new partnerships between global and regional ICT companies, governments, The LNG terminal on the island of Krk has the purpose to municipalities, business support organizations, universities secure energy needs and increase security of gas supply and other key stakeholders to reduce digital divide and ensure through the provision of a new gas supply route for the Central sustainable growth. In 5G Techritory the following countries and South-Eastern European countries. The Project will are involved: Norway, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, include the building and operating of the infrastructure Lithuania, Poland, Germany, Denmark. necessary for receiving, storing, reloading and regasification of liquefied natural gas. The technical capacity of the floating 7 DIGITAL ROADS & CONNECTIVITY terminal will depend on the technical characteristics of the LMT / Latvia terminal, while the maximum annual delivery of natural gas is expected to be 2,6 billion cubic meters. LMT is working on the development of 5G digital road infrastructure to lay the foundations for smart cities. The 3 PROJECT OF RIJEKA digital road initiative has resulted in a memorandum of Republic of Croatia / Ministry of the Sea, Transport and understanding between all three Baltic countries, committing Infrastructure / Port of Rijeka Authority to building a 5G-enabled road throughout all of the Baltics, connecting Finland to Poland with a smart corridor. LMT is The total value of € 115.76m was secured for six projects co- building both the platform for the sensor communication, as financed by the Europe Connecting Instrument (CEF). The well as several products. This will ultimately lay the foundation projects relate to the modernization of the railway for implementing autonomous vehicles. infrastructure and the construction of new intermodal capacities in the port of Rijeka, the reconstruction of the berths 8 UTM & DRONES for general cargo and the implementation of the information LMT / Latvia system ofthe port community called Port Community system. All projects will be accomplished in 2020 and 2021 respectively. UTM platform is being built for air traffic management, and ultimately, the safe introduction to drones into communal airspace. This will allow drones to fly BVLOS, which will enable 6 all of the impressive drone services we've been promised - logistics services in the 3SI region, with possibilities to drone deliveries, emergency aid, medical deliveries, etc. Co- transpose transport services and international expansions, real operation is underway with the air traffic authorities to time transport of goods for the optimization of transport implement this platform. Several drone use cases already services, the evidence of provisions and accessing information being offered as rescue drone for wildfire tracking, AI powered about the tariffs, special services, incident evidence and drone searching for missing people or detecting pollution in transport journal. water. The project is optimizing the transport in the 3SI region, having 9 BALTIC PIPE an important contribution to the reduction of transportation costs and, implicit, the production costs. The monitoring Poland center should optimize the use of means for transportation, transport information and give the possibility of licensing, in The Baltic Pipe Project and the LNG Terminal in Świnoujście order to obtain a service of transport of freight forwarding in Expansion Program, which together constitute a Northern Gate the 3SI region (a transit area for commodities and raw Project, are aimed at creating a new source of natural gas materials). Being at the border of two systems, the EU and the supply for Polish market and to end-users in neighbouring CIS states, international expeditions play a key role in countries. harmonizing standards, transporting documents and the means of transport with related operations. The high volume The Baltic Pipe Project will establish a transmission corridor and speed of data processing require a technological, digital for gas from the Norwegian Continental Shelf to Denmark and platform, connected to all regional logistics centers, with the Poland, with capacity of 10 bcm/year. The commissioning date possibility of trade remote transport and logistics services. of the Baltic Pipe is 1st September 2022.

13 THE RAILWAY AND DIGITAL CORRIDOR 10 LNG TERMINAL IN ŚWINOUJŚCIE Poland CURTICI – ARAD – TIMISOARA – CARANSEBES – CRAIOVA – THE RAILWAY RING OF BUCHAREST – The LNG Terminal in Świnoujście Expansion Program’s CONSTANTA PORT objective is to increase the nominal regasification capacity of The Government of Romania the terminal from 5 to 7.5 bcm/year (in November 2021), increase operational flexibility of the LNG terminal installation On the territory of Romania the route crosses all types of relief. and extend the range of services provided with the possibility Most of the length (822 km) is represented by the double track of natural gas transshipment, bunkering and reloading to ISO rail. The entire route is electrified in a 25 kV-50Hz AC system. containers and rail tankers (in May 2023). The maximum speed varies between 50 to 160 km/h and the travel time from the HU-RO Border to the city of Constanta is The project will provide a fundamental change to the current about 14 hours. The route was defined as a railway route with architecture of gas flows in Central and Eastern Europe. double utility - civil and military. Therefore they will contribute to secure, affordable and sustainable energy supply in Europe through the increased The whole corridor shown above will be doubled by a 5G- market integration, diversification of supply sources and high compliant fiber optic thoroughfare. Part of this corridor will competitiveness. focus on the digitization of railway sector specific signaling and telecommunication systems, with special attention being given 11 DIGITAL PLATFORM ON MONITORING to the Bucharest, Craiova and Timisoara railway belts, doubled by the digital belts Bucharest, Craiova, Timisoara, as well as by HYDROGRAPHIC BASES IN THE 3SI REGION the extension of the networks and digitizing installations in The Government of Romania Constanta Port and border stations. The digitization of Constanţa Port and the border stations will represent special Main objective of the "Digital Platform on Monitoring projects. Hydrographic Bases in the 3SI region" project is creating an intelligent digital platform for real time monitoring water from hydrographic basins in the 3SI region, digital modelling of 14 EASTRING pollutants, water discharge, risk analysis, calculation and Eustream, a.s. /Slovak Republic monitoring of water currents, monitoring water quality parameters. EASTRING is a new pipeline project for Central and South- eastern Europe which represents an important step towards The platform monitors all factors related to water, providing the Single European market and is included in the 3 EU list of an analysis of flood risks, droughts and water shortages as projects of common interest. EASTRING is a bi-directional gas well as impact of water abstraction in the region of the 3SI, pipeline interconnector of an annual capacity between 225,500 taking into account the effects of the climate changes. The GWh and 451,000 GWh (ca. 20 bcm up to 40 bcm), connecting project implies the construction in Bucharest of an intelligent Slovakia with the external border of the EU in Bulgaria through center for the management of emergency situations in the 3SI the territories of Hungary and Romania. region. EASTRING will offer a direct and most cost-effective transmission route between West EU liquid hubs and the 12 TRANSPORTATION STOCK EXCHANGE IN THE Balkan region/Turkey (e.g. Balkan Gas Hub) – an area with the 3SI REGION potential to become a highly liquid region offering gas from The Government of Romania various sources. By offering an opportunity to diversify of transmission routes as well as supply sources, it will enhance Main objective of the "Transportation Stock Exchange in the 3SI the security of supply in the broader region, especially in the region" is connecting all interested transports and countries of South-eastern Europe. EASTRING will be open for international expenditures, building a universal natural gas from well-established as well as alternative communication and operating data system, creating an sources. It will bring gas from new sources from the intelligent digital platform for the transaction of transport and Caspian/eastern Mediterranean/Black Sea/Middle East region. 7

At the same time, it will provide South-eastern Europe with gas from European gas hubs. The whole capacity will be available to any shipper or supplier.

15 THE LJUBLJANA TRANSPORT NODE: THE GLOBAL AND THE EUROPEAN PERSPECTIVE The Municipality of Ljubljana

The Ljubljana transport node, coined »The Ljubljana Gap«, by W.S. Churchill, together with the North Adriatic Port of Koper and Ljubljana Airport can represent a global transport node. The European Union TEN-T policy, together with the intentions of the Three Seas Initiative and the Belt and Road Initiative have strong impact on the Ljubljana transport node. The Ljubljana transport node can be upgraded to a multimodal intersection on two official European Union core TEN - T corridors, the Baltic – Adriatic and the Mediterranean.

The Municipality of Ljubljana already adopted two municipal detailed plans: the Passenger Centre Ljubljana and the Rail- Road freight terminal. The national detailed plans for the Ljubljana railway node and Ljubljana motorway node, together with the state detailed plan for direct connection to Ljubljana Airport, are of great importance.

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