The New Strategy Center is conducting a study visit to Germany, in Berlin, from 23-25 April, where the NSC team of experts, consisting of George Scutaru, General Director, Antonia Colibășanu, Senior Associate Expert, and Sergiu Mitrescu, Program Director, will have a series of meetings with German officials and experts.

The purpose of the visit is to promote the strategic importance of the Black Sea and Danube, the stakes of the energy potential in the offshore Black Sea area and a better understanding of the challenges to freedom of navigation in the Black Sea.

On Tuesday 23 April, the NSC delegation met with representatives of the Federal Foreign Office responsible for Black Sea policy, followed by a briefing at the German Parliament. During the discussions, George Scutaru and Antonia Colibășanu presented an analysis of the security situation in the Black Sea, possible scenarios of the war in Ukraine, developments in the Republic of Moldova and the hybrid actions of the Russian Federation. Other topics covered were the multiple threats to freedom of navigation in the Black Sea, with a focus on food and energy security and the regional and global impact.

The NSC visit was organised by the Romanian office of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS) and is part of two complementary research projects, which have produced two studies. The first study, authored by George Scutaru, is dedicated to the offshore energy potential of the Black Sea and its regional and European impact. The second study, authored by Dr Antonia Colibășanu, addresses the strategic importance of the Danube and freedom of navigation in the Black Sea. The studies benefited from documentary support from Sergiu Mitrescu, NSC Programme Director and Dilarei Kakillioglu, NSC Documentation and Analysis Coordinator. The projects were funded by the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung.