New Strategy Center participated in the Warsaw Security Forum on 1-2 October and organized a panel in partnership with WSF entitled “Stormy Waters of the Black Sea: Geopolitical Challenges for the New European Commission”.
The discussion brought to the forefront the security challenges facing the Black Sea region in the current geopolitical context marked by Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and the important role that the new European Commission has to play in dealing with them.

The speakers emphasized the European and global strategic importance of the Black Sea and underlined the need for a complex approach to maintain a free and open Black Sea with freedom of navigation in these difficult conditions, to ensure connectivity, energy and food security. It is important to note that the European Commission has started the internal process for the realization of a dedicated Black Sea strategy, with the project expected to be finalized by the middle of next year.

The panel was moderated by George Scutaru, Director General of the NSC, and the speakers were: Simona Cojocaru – Secretary of State, Ministry of Defense, Romania, Ambassador Tacan Ildem – President of EDAM Turkey and former Assistant to the NATO Secretary General, Nikoloz Samkharadze – Chairman of the Foreign Policy Committee of the Parliament of Georgia, Paweł Soloch – Ambassador of Poland to Romania, Symeon Tsomokos – President of Delphi Economic Forum, Greece.

On the margins of the conference, George Scutaru had several meetings with foreign experts and NSC partners.