Poland and the Three Seas Initiative: Iran's Role in the Energy Security of Central and Eastern Europe

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Department of Regional Studies, Faculty of Law and Political Science, University of Tehran, Iran

Abstract

As the heir to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, which once ruled a large swath of Central and Eastern Europe from the Baltic region to today's Ukraine and Slovakia, Poland wants to play a leading role in the emerging institutional architecture in Central and Eastern Europe. In this regard, the issue of energy security is a priority for Poland and likewise other Central and Eastern European countries due to their high dependence on Russia, especially for the majority of their natural gas consumption. The main question of this research is: What role does Iran play in the energy security of Poland and the rest of Central and Eastern European region? The hypothesis of this research states that Iran is positioned as a major potential energy supplier within the Poland-led Three Seas Initiative in Central and Eastern Europe in view of efforts to build an energy-resilient region. The main research question was dealt with using the qualitative approach within the theoretical framework of Thazha Varkey Paul’s soft balancing theory. The paper’s results indicate that Iran will be an indispensable partner for the geopolitical wing of the Three Seas Initiative and the envisioned Indo-Atlantic maritime route.

Keywords

Journal of Iran and Central Eurasia Studies
Volume 5, Issue 1
August 2022
Pages 119-135

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