New Strategy Center experts had extensive discussions in Berlin on Thursday 24 April with experts from leading German think tanks on the strategic importance of the Black Sea and Danube, especially in the current context of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The meetings provided a good opportunity for a useful exchange of views on issues of common interest.
The day started with a meeting at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs – SWP, with the participation of Helge Adrians, Visiting Fellow, expert in naval security, with an exchange of views on the challenges to freedom of navigation in the Black Sea and the regional and global impact.
This was followed by a meeting hosted by the German Association for East European Studies – DGO, moderated by Dr. Volker Weichsel, editor of the academic journal OstEuropa.
Further discussions took place at the German Council on Foreign Relations – DGAP, moderated by Stefan Meister, Director of the Centre for Eastern Europe, Russia and Central Asia.
The NSC experts insisted during the discussions on the need for a German Black Sea strategy to be adopted in the coming period at government level.
With the Russian war in Ukraine and the major security challenges on NATO’s entire Eastern flank, it is necessary for Germany to have a strategic vision for both the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea.
Germany’s status as a Danube riparian country and its concerns about the Balkans, the Caucasus region and the importance of the bilateral relationship between Germany and Turkey also make Germany an important player in developments in the wider Black Sea region.
Germany’s strong economic presence in Romania, as well as Germany’s focus on supporting Ukraine, can contribute to a greater German involvement in increasing the relevance of the Danube as a bridge connecting Ukraine, Moldova and Western Europe.
New Strategy Center conducted a study visit to Germany in Berlin on 23-25 April, where the NSC team of experts, consisting of George Scutaru, Director General, Antonia Colibășanu, Senior Associate Expert, and Sergiu Mitrescu, Programme Director, had a series of meetings with German officials and experts. The NSC visit was organised by the Romanian office of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS) and is part of a research project dedicated to the strategic importance of the Black Sea and Danube in the context of the current war in Ukraine.
The New Strategy Center in Berlin presented in Berlin two studies: “Freedom of navigation in the Black Sea and the Strategic Significance of the Danube” and “Black Sea’s Offshore Energy Potential and its Strategic Role at a Regional and Continental Level”, hosted by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.
The studies can be viewed HERE