The New Strategy Center organized a panel entitled “Strategic Stability in the Black Sea: A Multi-Dimensional Security Approach” on Tuesday, November 19, at the Moldova Security Forum.

During the discussion, the speakers analyzed the multiple security challenges in the Black Sea region in the context of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and their impact on the world community. The strategic importance of the Black Sea and the need to maintain a free and open Black Sea for trade and connectivity was emphasized, advancing the challenges to freedom of navigation such as mines, Russia’s intense electronic warfare activities affecting ship communications, constant shelling of Ukraine’s Black Sea and Danube port infrastructure.

The discussions also highlighted Russia’s destabilizing actions against the Republic of Moldova, visible during the recent elections, and how the Republic of Moldova is resisting these hybrid attacks, underlining the need for democratic states to continue to support Moldova’s efforts to integrate into the European Union in this difficult context.

The panel was moderated by George Scutaru, CEO, New Strategy Center, and the speakers were Iulian Groza, Executive Director, Institute for European Policy and Reform, Republic of Moldova, James Carafano, Senior Advisor to the President and E.W. Richardson Fellow, The Heritage Foundation, USA, Francois Heisbourg, Special Advisor, Foundation for Strategic Research (FRS), France, Sinem Akgül Açıkmeșe, Professor of International Relations, Kadir Has University, Turkey.