Challenge
Increased trade between Europe and Asia and the ongoing war in Ukraine have created an urgent need for reliable supply chains that support U.S. allies and counter adversarial influence. In 2020, the International Monetary Fund estimated the region faced an infrastructure gap of more than $1 trillion. Since then, the growth of the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor and other trade routes has furthered demand for investment in cross-border infrastructure that bolsters energy security, strengthens supply chains and lays a foundation for continued growth.
Solution and Impact
DFC, through its investment in the Three Seas Initiative Investment Fund, is supporting the expansion of the Port of Burgas on Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast. The port serves as the main maritime gateway between two major cities in Bulgaria, as well as well as a logistic node connecting the southeast part of the Three Seas region with Central Asia and the Middle East.
The Port of Burgas, which was built on the location of an ancient trading site, officially opened in 1903 and expanded over time to support increased trade across the region. Today it serves carriers transporting a combination of container and dry and liquid bulk cargo including grain, critical minerals, and fertilizers to destinations in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.
With DFC’s financing, Three Seas Initiative Investment Fund is helping to modernize the port, bring it up to international best practices, and expand to capacity for larger container ships, to bolster trade and connectivity within the region and across continents.
The Three Seas Initiative is a collaboration of 13 Central and Eastern European countries to accelerate infrastructure development and energy security in the region and promote more secure north-south connectivity. Named for the countries’ proximity to the Baltic, Black, and Adriatic Seas, and formed ten years ago, Three Seas has become an increasingly critical tool in advancing U.S. economic and security interests in Central and Eastern Europe.
This project was profiled in 2026.