The New Strategy Center and the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) organized on Friday, 14 February, at the Munich Security Conference, a working dinner event on the strategic importance of the Black Sea, on the topic “A Free and Open Black Sea: Evaluating Challenges on Connectivity, Global Food Security and Energy in the Region”.
The participants highlighted the security challenges in the Black Sea region, the developments of the war in Ukraine, the importance of maintaining freedom of navigation being vital. In addition to kinetic actions, Russia has in its arsenal multiple hybrid activities that jeopardize the security of the region, such as: blockades of perimeters, electronic warfare actions affecting ship communications or the placement of mines. Russia may also jeopardize energy projects in the Black Sea offshore area, affect Europe’s connectivity with Central Asia or threaten global food security. Also a central theme of the discussions was the peace process for Ukraine and the upcoming negotiations. Participants emphasized the need for Ukraine to receive solid security guarantees to prevent a possible relapse into conflict in the future. Without such firm commitments, there is a risk that the war could restart within a few years.
The event was attended by H.E. Emil Hurezeanu, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Romania, H.E. Anatolie Nosatii, Minister of Defense of the Republic of Moldova, General Robert Brieger, Commander of the EU Military Command, former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, members of the US Congress, and security experts. The discussion was moderated by LTG (ret.) Ben Hodges, Member of the NSC International Consultative Board, former Commander of US Army Europe.
The New Strategy Center is the only think tank in Romania to organize for the last five years at the Munich Conference, the most important security event in Europe, an event dedicated to the strategic importance of the Black Sea and the challenges in the region, thus contributing to the promotion of Romania’s security interests and to the strengthening of NATO cooperation in the region.
Photo: MSC/Philipp Guelland