Session V: Black Sea Security: From the Area of Tension to the Sea of Opportunities

There are few places in the world with as many transformative developments over a span of a decade as the Black Sea. The end of the Cold War saw the Black Sea opening up to the outside world with its many opportunities. In 2004 the Black Sea became a European sea, also in the political sense, as two littoral states – Bulgaria and Romania – joined the EU.

However, in 2008 the internationally recognized borders of another Black Sea nation – Georgia – became violated by military intervention from the Russian Federation. The similar aggression repeated in 2014 in another Black Sea littoral state, as Ukraine became a victim of Russian military intervention and annexation.

At the same time, being at the crossroads of large reserves of natural resources, the Black Sea slowly acquired a role of major transport corridor for trade, including for energy resources on the Caspian Sea - Black Sea - Mediterranean Sea axis. What is today the role of the Black Sea in the security and economic stability of Europe?