Launching The Four Seas Initiative
Register Here!
Please join us on Thursday, June 11, 10:00 AM – 2:15 PM at the National Press Club, Washington, D.C., for the launch of The Four Seas Initiative by New Lines Institute, a new policy framework proposing a Syria–Türkiye energy and transit corridor linking the Persian Gulf, Caspian Sea, Mediterranean Sea, and Black Sea.
This framework outlines a multilateral approach to energy security, regional connectivity, and reconstruction. It aims to reduce European dependence on Russian and Iranian energy, anchor Gulf investment in Western-aligned infrastructure, and support Syria’s reconstruction through sustainable transit revenues and regional economic integration.
The launch marks the public release of the Four Seas policy report, authored by Dr. Azeem Ibrahim OBE and Themistoklis Asthenidis. The event will convene ambassadors, senior officials, policymakers, regional specialists, and leading analysts for a timely discussion on the geopolitical and economic dimensions of the framework and the emerging post-Assad strategic landscape.
Program Overview
Opening Remarks
Dr. Azeem Ibrahim, OBE – Chief Strategy Officer, New Lines Institute
Themistoklis Asthenidis – Senior Advisor, New Lines Institute
Panel 1: The Political Economy of the Four Seas Initiative
Tim Callen – Visiting Fellow, Arab Gulf States Institute
Mirette F. Mabrouk – Senior Fellow, Middle East Institute
Dr. Karam Shaar – Director, Karam Shaar Advisory
Panel 2: The Politics of the Four Seas Initiative
Charles Lister – Senior Fellow and Director, Middle East Institute
Wa’el Alzayat – Co-Founder, Zenobia Advisory group; Executive Director, U.S.-Syria Business Council
Defne Arslan – Senior Director & Founder, Atlantic Council – Turkey Program
Closing Remarks
Dr. Dania Arayssi – Program Head and Senior Analyst, New Lines Institute
