International Round Table "Intermarium 2020: Achievements, Threats, and Prospects"

November – December 2020: Participation in the Preparation and Hosting of the International Round Table "Intermarium 2020: Achievements, Threats, and Prospects"

Between November and December 2020, the Charitable Foundation "Social Resources and Initiatives" took an active role in the preparation and organization of the International Round Table "Intermarium 2020: Achievements, Threats, and Prospects."

Objective of the Round Table

The event aimed to establish an expert platform involving leading politicians and scholars from the Baltic-Black Sea region to analyze the current state of the "Three Seas Initiative" (Intermarium).

Key Message: Beyond the traditional political challenges—such as electoral cycles that often cause political turbulence—the COVID-19 pandemic emerged as a major test for these nations and the world as a whole.

At the same time, Russia has continued to exploit electoral polarization in the region, using it as a tool of hybrid aggression while exacerbating ethnic, cultural, and religious tensions. Despite these threats, democratic integration processes in the region are creating new economic, energy, and security opportunities.

Notable Developments:

• On October 19-20, 2020, during the Tallinn Summit, member states of the Three Seas Initiative reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation.
• In Ukraine, an Inter-Parliamentary Group on the Three Seas Initiative was established within the Verkhovna Rada, demonstrating the country's growing interest in the project.

Given these dynamics, an expert analysis was crucial to:

• Identify strategies for mitigating the mentioned threats and challenges.
• Determine the best pathways for mutually beneficial development within the Three Seas Initiative framework.

Organizers

The round table was organized by:

• NGO "Institute for Democratization and Development" (Kyiv, Ukraine)
• NGO "Center for Political Narratives of Democracy" (Chernivtsi, Ukraine)
• NGO "Institute of World Policy" (Kyiv, Ukraine)

Partners

• Ukrainian World Congress of Youth Organizations (СКУМО)
• Charitable Foundation "Social Resources and Initiatives" (Chernivtsi, Ukraine)
• East House Foundation (Fundacja Domu Wschodniego) (Warsaw, Poland)
• Black Sea House Association (Constanța, Romania)
• Belarus Security Blog (NGO "Belarus Security Blog") (Minsk, Belarus)
• Institute for Political Studies and Social Capital (Chernivtsi, Ukraine)
• Center for Romanian Studies, Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University

Media Partners

Information support was provided by:

• Western Information Front
• Polonews
• BucPress
• Molodyi Bukovynets
• Obserwator Międzynarodowy
• Ukrainians.MD
• Europunkt.ro
• Svitua.org (Stozhary)
• Newssky.com.ua

Date & Format

• December 9, 2020
• Online round table

Participants 

The event gathered politicians and scholars from Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, and Poland.

Discussion Panels

1. Geopolitical Situation of the Baltic-Black Sea Axis: Traditional Threats and Current Challenges
2. The Three Seas Initiative: Achievements and Future Prospects

Key Contributions

Speakers included:

• Serhiy Hakman (Vice President of the Foundation, Deputy Director of the Chernivtsi Regional Center for Retraining and Advanced Training of Civil Servants, Ph.D. in History, Associate Professor)
• Serhiy Fedunyak (Member of the Foundation’s Supervisory Board, Professor of International Relations at Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University, Doctor of Political Sciences)

The round table facilitated critical discussions on the future of regional cooperation, focusing on economic, security, and geopolitical aspects.