In his address, the deputy foreign minister highlighted the advantages of closer cooperation between Three Seas Initiative countries, also with reference to capital markets. He emphasised that first steps to integrate this area have already been taken, resulting in the 2019 launch of a joint stock exchange index, CEEplus, based on the value of the portfolio of the largest and most liquid companies listed on seven stock exchanges in Central and Eastern Europe. The deputy minister noted that further harmonisation of capital markets in 3SI countries would make the region more attractive to foreign investors. He further pointed out that enhanced cooperation should be pursued on equal footing, bringing benefits to all those involved. That is why, elaborating and implementing uniform technological solutions would be a good step towards a closer integration of capital markets. Such efforts would not only reduce operating costs, but also make the regional Central and Eastern Europe markets more attractive to global investors.

“The Warsaw Stock Exchange is a regional leader and treats this fact as an obligation to support smaller capital markets in Central and Eastern Europe, thus contributing to the economic success of the entire region,” said Deputy Foreign Minister Paweł Jabłoński.

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Launched in 2015 by the presidents of Poland and Croatia, the Three Seas Initiative aims at strengthening the unity of the EU and the Euro-Atlantic area. The Initiative is composed of twelve Central and South-Eastern European countries, which focus on developing infrastructure links in transport, energy and digitalisation in order to fully unlock our region’s potential.

The CEE plus index was created in 2019 on the margins of the Economic Forum in Krynica-Zdrój. The index is published based on the value of the portfolio of the largest and most liquid companies listed on stock exchanges in seven countries of the Three Seas region (Croatia, the Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Hungary).

MFA Press Office