“Four Seas Initiative” seeks to position Syria as regional energy hub
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – A new policy initiative unveiled in Washington this week is proposing to transform Syria into a key regional transit hub linking the Arabian Gulf, the Caspian Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Black Sea through a network of energy and transport corridors.
The proposal, known as the “Four Seas Initiative,” was launched by the New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy during an event attended by diplomats, policymakers, and energy experts, including members of a Syrian delegation led by Syria’s chargé d’affaires in Washington, Mohammad Kanatri, and Assistant Minister of Energy Ibrahim al-Addahan.
According to the institute’s policy report, the initiative envisions Syria and Turkey serving as central transit routes for oil, gas, electricity, rail, and communications networks connecting Gulf, Iraqi, and Caspian energy resources to European markets. The proposal is modeled on the Three Seas Initiative launched in Central and Eastern Europe in 2017 and seeks to capitalize on Syria’s strategic geographic position following the fall of the Assad government.
Speaking during the event, Kanatri said Syria aims to use its location to reconnect regional economies after years of conflict and isolation.
“We want Syria to connect countries again, not divide them,” he said, describing the country’s geography as a potential economic asset rather than a source of geopolitical tensions.
The initiative focuses on developing infrastructure corridors linking the four seas through Syria and Turkey. Proposed projects include the rehabilitation of existing oil and gas pipelines, expansion of electricity interconnections, and modernization of regional transit networks. The New Lines Institute report specifically highlights the possible revival of the Kirkuk–Banias oil pipeline, upgrades to the Arab Gas Pipeline, and stronger integration with Turkey’s energy infrastructure.
Azeem Ibrahim, Director of Special Initiatives at the New Lines Institute and one of the report’s authors, said Syria’s location gives it the potential to become a major regional energy hub that could facilitate broader economic cooperation among neighboring countries.
The report argues that the project could support Syria’s reconstruction by generating transit revenues, attracting foreign investment, and creating employment opportunities while strengthening regional energy security. It also calls on the United States and the European Union to support the initiative through infrastructure financing and diplomatic coordination.
During the Washington discussions, participants noted to recent developments that could support the initiative, including energy cooperation between Syria and neighboring countries, the operation of a gas pipeline connecting Turkey’s Kilis city to Aleppo, and discussions on expanding regional electricity and gas links.
The proposal comes as Syria’s transitional authorities seek to attract international investment and reintegrate the country into regional economic networks following more than a decade of war that devastated infrastructure and disrupted trade routes. Syrian officials have increasingly promoted regional connectivity and infrastructure development as key pillars of the country’s economic recovery strategy.
While the initiative remains at the proposal stage, its backers describe it as a long-term framework that could reshape regional energy and trade flows by connecting major production centers in the Gulf and Caspian regions with European markets through Syrian territory.