The future of security in the Black Sea region was the focus of the first Security Dialogue organized by the Bulgarian Chairpersonship of the Forum for Security Co-operation, held on 3 May. Drawing on the gravity and long-term consequences of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, the meeting provided an opportunity for in-depth discussions about the state of play of security in the wider Black Sea region and its role as an integral part of European security.
During the session, two distinct approaches were highlighted: outlining the critical factors that influence the security environment and surveying the varying perceptions of the challenges, threats and possible opportunities.
The key messages in the discussion stressed that Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine had fundamentally changed the European security environment, leading to a less co-operative and multilateral international system. With regional co-operation mechanisms, such as those established under OSCE auspices, also being affected. The war further evidenced the significant impact of the security challenges in the wider Black Sea region and beyond.
The forum was addressed by Yordan Bozhilov, Director of the Sofia Security Forum, Gheorghe Magheru, Member of the Scientific Council, New Strategy Center, Romania, Tacan Ildem, Chairman of the Center for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies in Türkiye and Dr. Deborah Sanders, Reader in Defence and Security Studies at King's College London.
