The Three Seas Initiative and the Graz Triangle Relations Towards the UAE

What is it about?

The presented research is the first such study on Austria, Croatia, and Slovenia (Graz Triangle) as a part of the Three Seas Initiative from the perspective of the United Arab Emirates. After 2015, when the Three Seas Initiative was initiated, the United Arab Emirates greatly intensified its relations with this geographical area. The author relied on international practice and role theory in this study, supported by the analytical and empirical case study method. Moreover, the researcher verified the study results through ten years of participation in many processes and phenomena of the investigated area, including as Ambassador and Senior Advisor to Dubai Expo 2020, responsible for strategies and dynamizing the Three Seas Initiative countries' relations with the United Arab Emirates. The findings indicate that the Graz Triangle states have the potential for further development of relations with the United Arab Emirates. However, to give its strategic significance, the implementation project should be within a broader formula, i.e., the Three Seas Initiative.

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Photo by Ivan Ivankovic on Unsplash

Photo by Ivan Ivankovic on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This study attempted to provide a new perspective on the relations between Austria, Slovenia, Croatia (Graz Triangle), and the UAE. Central and Eastern Europe and the Middle East, including the Persian (Arab) Gulf region, were directly experiencing the end of the bipolar world order. In both geographic areas, a game started for the new world order. After 25 years of the Croatia and Poland initiative, the Central and Eastern European countries started a new cooperation formula called the Three Seas Initiative, which is part of the ‘New Europe’ concept implementation. At that time, the UAE, recognizing the new project as attractive, began to dynamize relations with 3SI countries.

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