George Scutaru, CEO of the New Strategy Center, participated in the “Free and Open Spaces Forum,” organized by The Heritage Foundation in Washington on Wednesday, April 15, and was a speaker in the panel “Free & Open Black Sea & Danube River.”
In his remarks, George Scutaru emphasized the importance of maintaining a free and open Black Sea, highlighting the risks posed by Russia’s actions aimed at undermining freedom of navigation and regional stability. He stressed that maritime security is also essential for the development of connectivity and energy projects. In this context, he noted that, starting in 2027, Romania will become the largest natural gas producer in the EU, which will strengthen the region’s energy security and reduce dependence on Russian gas.
Connectivity between Europe and Central Asia is not possible if the Black Sea continues to be a battlefield and if freedom of navigation remains threatened by Russia’s actions. Global food security depends on developments in the Black Sea region, as Ukraine, Russia, and Romania are major grain exporters to markets in Africa and Asia. At the same time, George Scutaru highlighted the strategic importance of the Danube as a second gateway to the Black Sea, directly linked to the heart of Europe. The ports of Galați and Brăila (Romania), together with Reni and Izmail (Ukraine), as well as Giurgiulești (Moldova), can jointly form a major logistics hub capable of supporting Ukraine’s reconstruction and boosting regional trade.
Additionally, during the panel, the study “Romania and Serbia: Strong Foundations, Strategic Connectivity – Three Pillars for Deepening Cooperation,” conducted by the New Strategy Center and the Pupin Initiative (Serbia), was also presented.
The panel was moderated by Kaush Arha, President of the Indo-Pacific Forum (USA), and the other speakers were: Lt. Gen. Iulian Berdilă, Deputy Chief of Defense for Operations and Training (Romania); Svitlana Kovalchuk, Executive Director of Yalta European Strategy (Ukraine); Vuk Velebit, Director of the Pupin Initiative (Serbia); JP Froehly, Minister for Economic and Financial Affairs at the German Embassy in Washington; and Emir Ulusoy, Vice President of Ulusoy Group (Turkey).
George Scutaru is on a research visit to Washington from April 14–16, during which he is holding a series of meetings with American experts in security and foreign affairs from prestigious U.S. think tanks, as well as with experts and advisors from the foreign relations and armed services committees of Congress.
The New Strategy Center is grateful to the Embassy of Romania in the United States for its support, as well as LTG Iulian Berdilă, Deputy Chief of Defense for Operations and Training, for his involvement and participation in some of the meetings, with American partners appreciating the complementary nature of the views expressed and the expertise of the Romanian participants.
The New Strategy Center is also grateful to Leviatan Group for its support in facilitating this documentation visit and for the participation of Mr. Cătălin Podaru, CEO of Leviatan Group, in some of the meetings included in the program.
