Experts from New Strategy Center held a series of meetings with US experts from the Atlantic Council and the Hudson Institute on Thursday and Friday, 22 and 23 June. Discussions focused on evolutions in the Black Sea region in the context of Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine, the importance of the US military presence, the need to maintain freedom of navigation in the western Black Sea basin, energy security and food security issues. The need to adopt a dedicated US strategy for the Black Sea region was central to the exchange of views. At the same time, George Scutaru, CEO of the New Strategy Center, and Antonia Colibășanu, Senior Associate Expert, had meetings in the US Congress with experts from the US Senate Foreign Affairs Committee and the House of Representatives Military Affairs Committee. NSC experts also met with Robert Anderholt, a member of the House Appropriations Committee from the State of Alabama, as the Alabama National Guard has a long-standing and strong partnership with the Romanian Armed Forces. Discussions focused on the importance of a US strategy dedicated to the Black Sea region, possible security developments in the region, Russia’s hybrid subversive activities in the Republic of Moldova, energy project developments in Romania’s Exclusive Economic Zone and the strategic impact on the region, the importance of the Black Sea region in terms of connectivity and food security.
NSC experts visited the US in Washington on 20-23 June for a series of meetings and events aimed at presenting the strategic importance of the Black Sea region in the context of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and the need for the US Congress to adopt the Black Sea Security Act, a bill aimed at developing a long-term US Black Sea strategy in multiple areas. The study “Strategic Nexus: The Black Sea, Great Power Competition, and the Russo-Ukrainian War”, conducted with the US think-tank Yorktown Institute: https://
New Strategy Center thanks the Romanian Embassy in the US for its support, as well as the representatives of the Romanian Defence Staff for their involvement and participation in some of the meetings of the programme, the American discussion partners appreciating the complementary nature of the views expressed and the expertise of the Romanian participants.
