The New Strategy Center organised on 2-3 February a consultation session on strategic issues with experts from Turkey (Centre for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies – EDAM) and Bulgaria (Sofia Security Forum and Institute for Global Analytics – IGA).

The Romanian, Turkish and Bulgarian experts discussed topics of common interest, such as the evolution of the war in Ukraine, its impact on the wider Black Sea region and NATO, how NATO, the EU and some states have reacted to this war and the effectiveness of the measures adopted so far, the energy security of the region, the security situation in the Republic of Moldova. Also, the topic of the cooperation of the three states in security domain was addressed, taking into account their status as NATO members, especially in the context of the multiple security challenges generated by Russia’s war against Ukraine.

New Strategy Center, Centre for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies – EDAM and Sofia Security Forum will cooperate to produce a joint study assessing the current security situation in the Black Sea region and the prospects for its evolution, to identify elements of cooperation in this difficult context between the three NATO riparian states, and to advocate for more attention from the North Atlantic Alliance to this region.

It is the first meeting in this format, organised at the initiative of the NSC in Romania. In this way, the three think tanks contribute to the development of the strategic dialogue between Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey and to the strengthening of cooperation between the three NATO states bordering the Black Sea, a necessary process especially in the context of the Russian aggression in Ukraine and the security challenges generated by this war.