The Black Sea is a crossing space between worlds, different cultures and global interests.
Political, economic and social shifts occurred over time within the states in the area, with major
consequences in the game of power and in exercising control in the game. The new realities of the
international political scene have highlighted the crucial nature of the Black Sea Region for
European security, being known as the new eastern frontier of Europe. The full European security
can not be achieved as long as the Black Sea area remains unstableregional security, regional cooperation, asymmetric risk, regional risk, energy security

Daniela Popa

English

Research Papers in Economics

Black Sea: a geopolitical and economic perspective of the eastern border of the euro atlantic structures  136 
BLACK SEA: A GEOPOLITICAL AND ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVE OF 
THE EASTERN BORDER OF THE EURO ATLANTIC STRUCTURES 
 
Daniela Popa
* 
 
Abstract 
The Black Sea is a crossing space between worlds, different cultures and global interests. 
Political, economic and social shifts occurred over time within the states in the area, with major 
consequences in the game of power and in exercising control in the game. The new realities of the 
international  political  scene  have  highlighted  the  crucial  nature  of  the  Black  Sea  Region  for 
European security, being known as the new eastern frontier of Europe. The full European security 
can not be achieved as long as the Black Sea area remains unstable 
 
Keywords:  regional  security,  regional  cooperation,  asymmetric  risk,  regional 
risk, energy security. 
 
JEL Classification: F51, F52, F59 
 
The Wider Black Sea region is an area of joint action for global actors such as 
European Union, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, United Nation Organization, 
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, United States of America, 
Russia etc. This is because in the process of redefining the strategic   political issues 
of  this  area  are  involved  explicitly  or  not,  directly  or  not,  players  with  a  global 
vocation. The Black Sea is a crossing space between worlds, different cultures and 
global interests. Political, economic and social shifts occurred over time within the 
states in the area, with major consequences in the game of power and in exercising 
control in the game. 
The geopolitical and geostrategic interests of riparian countries, the interests of 
the main players in the top hierarchy of the world (USA, Russia, China, Japan, India, 
and EU countries), the huge economic potential, the military and demographic role 
of this area as link between Central Asia and the Middle East, are evident. The new 
realities of the international political scene have highlighted the crucial nature of the 
Black Sea Region for European security, being known as the new eastern frontier of 
Europe. The full European security can not be achieved as long as the Black Sea area 
remains unstable. 
Including Romania and Bulgaria, NATO placed the Black Sea littoral countries 
in  a  position  of  parity  number  (three  to  three),  and  NATO  involvement  in 
Afghanistan and Iraq means a significant shift to the east area of operations for the 
Alliance. Also, plans for redeployment phases of U.S. bases in Western Europe were 
added. Partnership for Peace under NATO had a profound impact throughout the 
region, starting a reform process of the armed forces and internal security agencies. 
                                                 
* Daniela Popa is Associate Professor of at the Nicolae Titulescu University in Bucharest. Romanian Economic and Business Review – Vol. 5, No. 2  137 
Also,  the  enlargement  of  European  Union  has  favored  the  rise  of  a  new 
strategic factor in the region. Approval of the conceptual framework of the EU's 
relations with neighboring countries in East, aimed in the first instance the Russian 
Federation, Ukraine and Moldova, is a clear indication of rising European interest to 
the Black Sea as a natural bridge to the vital energy sources from Central Asia and 
the Middle East. Another important element of the role that EU plays in the region 
is  taking  the  main  responsibility  in  the  Balkans  through  the  stabilization  and 
association agreement. This process could be a model for a similar process for the 
South Caucasus. 
Security in the region must reflect the new status of the Russian Federation and 
Ukraine as a partner with NATO, EU and U.S., facilitating constructive approach 
within  the  framework  of  multiple  problems  (fighting  against  unconventional  or 
asymmetric threats, military body reform, energy security) with direct implications. 
An  analysis  of  the  security  environment  in  the  region  also  involves  analysis  of 
"frozen  conflicts"  in  the  area,  as  well  as  those  in  Abkhazia,  Transnistria  and 
Nagorno Karabakh.  Russian  Federation  is  still  very  active  in  the  area,  both  by 
exerting a direct influence and by its potential actions in the geopolitics of energy 
field.  Strategic  configuration  of  the  region  has  changed  through  the  existence  of 
Ukraine,  Georgia  and  other  states  that  had  resulted  from  the  dissolution  of  the 
former USSR, as state actors, with their own interests. On short and medium term, 
the concerns of the European Union and the U.S. will be focused on ensuring the 
stability of transatlantic relations. 
From a military perspective, there is no reason to say that the region is not 
stable.  Naval  forces  don’t  have  the  traditional  role  of  territorial  defense.  These 
structures are rather involved in military actions to counter the asymmetric risk. The 
evolution of strategic relationship between east and west and the economic opening 
promoted by the enlargement of European Union and NATO require a clarification 
of the concept for the EU's eastern border, being an complementary area for the 
states that currently are  not included in the integration project   Russia,  Belarus, 
Ukraine, Moldova, respectively those adjacent states   Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, 
Central Asian states. 
The objectives of EU and Euro Atlantic area are: to strengthen the regional 
cooperation strategy, which includes the entire eastern area to Central Asia; to set up 
a  European  strategy  for  Moldova,  Armenia  and  Azerbaijan;  to  establish  and 
strengthen  the  infrastructure;  to  renew  the  European  programs  for 
telecommunications  and  IT,  transport  (TRACECA),  energy  (INOGATE);  to 
strengthen the regional projects by joining PfP related projects; to assimilate the best 
practices of cross border and sub regional cooperation, already experimented with 
the support of the Stability Pact; to support a regional program of environmental 
protection and sustainable development in the Black Sea Area and to extend the 
opportunities to improve cooperation with Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan, and 
with Turkey and Israel, through Caucasus, from Georgia. Black Sea: a geopolitical and economic perspective of the eastern border of the euro atlantic structures  138 
Being a EU and NATO member, Romania has a geostrategic position and has 
opened relations with countries in the region that lead to the establishment of a 
strategy that includes the following priorities: to support the process of strengthening 
a good governance, to support the development of effective administration of the 
borders, to eliminate trade barriers and to strengthen relations in the regional free 
trade and to resolve the minority issues and territorial disputes, based on national 
commitments undertaken. 
The defining element that reflects the geopolitics of the extended Black Sea 
Area is that this region lies at the confluence of three major geopolitical regions: the 
Balkans, Eastern Europe and Asia Minor, and close to the hot zone of the Middle 
East, while being a segment of the southern border of the Russian Federation and 
the northern limit of the southern flank of NATO. Black Sea is the gateway out to 
Ocean  for  Bulgaria,  Romania,  Ukraine  and  the  Transcaucasian  countries,  not 
forgetting to mention that it lies on the route proposed for transporting the Caspian 
and central Asian oil to western European consumers. 
The region is rich of marine and submarine resources; it is the shortest way for 
Russia to the south and east area, providing commercial and tourist facilities, having 
a  large  number  of  ports,  being  therefore  a  good  environment  for  the economic, 
cultural and military activities. The Wider Black Sea Region is an area of 350 million 
consumers, with an important demographic and economic potential. That is why the 
region is so attractive for the traditional global actors.  
A strategy in the region must regard the special role that the energetic resources 
of Central Asia and The Middle East have in the Euro Atlantic security equation. 
Europe imports about 60% of its resources through the Bosporus and the English 
Channel. Analysts forecast that Europe will import over 70% of energy sources from 
outside the continent in 2020. Black Sea Region and the adjacent area dominate the 
entire Euro Asian energy corridor from gas pipelines and trans Ukrainian oil which 
supplies markets in northern Europe, until the pipelines Baku   Tbilisi    Ceyhan 
pipeline bound for the Mediterranean area. A secure and stable regional environment 
is favorable for Europe, assuring the access to the energetic resources of the Caspian 
basin and central Asia. 
The Wider Black Sea Region returned to the center of cross border activity both 
in a positive meaning (trade, tourism and transportation of energetic resources) and 
negative meaning (joint point of supply and demand for various illegal products). 
From the perspective of terrorism, the states in the region have varying degrees 
of risk. Thus, the states on the western coast proved that they can have an efficient 
control of the phenomenon, in terms of prevention and combating. In contrast, the 
states  in  the  Caucasus  area  still  have  a  fragile  political  stability,  which  could 
encourage the radicalization of the social movements, can increase the number of 
terrorist organizations that are affiliated to international networks. The vectors of 
terrorism are: the enhancement of the ethnic, separatist, Islamic and fundamentalist 
groups’ activities; the radicalization of the autonomist separatist movements in the 
Caucasian  region  (Nagorno Karabakh,  Transnistria,  the  Chechen  nationalist Romanian Economic and Business Review – Vol. 5, No. 2  139 
movement against Russia); the launching of the Islamic fundamentalism that can 
have a big impact within the poor classes; the presence and involvement of Arab 
NGOs  that  support  the  terrorist  groups;  the  interconnection  between  terrorist 
activity and organized crime. 
Moreover,  the  Caucasus  and  Central  Asia  are  key  points  for  the  ongoing 
operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. There are two NATO missions in Afghanistan: 
one mission in Kabul, ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) and Enduring 
Freedom  in  Kandahar  region. The  air  routes  to  these  countries  use  the  strategic 
airports and the military facilities that are in Central Asia and Caucasus, as the area of 
transport. These aspects reflect the big importance of The Wider Black Sea Region. 
Setting in more military facilities on the western shore of the Black Sea, as those 
placed in Romania and Bulgaria, has an important role in the war on terrorism. These 
facilities are operated jointly by U.S. forces and the Romanian/Bulgarian troops and 
are crucial in the new U.S. strategy of using small bases for shelter, both shelter and 
reserve troops. This proves the big role and the importance that the Black Sea has in 
the war against terrorism. We must regard that Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Moldova 
and Georgia are the countries from The Wider Black Sea Region that have troops in 
Afghanistan  and  Iraq,  as  part  of  a  coalition.  The  overflight  rights  apply  to  all 
countries in the region and have functioned, including for Russia. 
 
Organized crime. 
The  Wider  Black  Sea  Region  is  a  favorable  ground  for  crimes  as:    drug 
trafficking,  human  trafficking,  illegal  immigration,  economic  and  financial  crime, 
money laundering and falsification of documents. The drug trafficking routes that 
comes from The Golden Crescent (Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan), Golden Triangle 
(Myanmar, Laos, Thailand) and some Central Asian states is passing through the 
region. The borders of the Caucasian states facilitate the criminal groups through 
Western Europe. The danger is even greater as they are not only transit countries, 
but even drug consumers. The increasing of the drug consuming has as an effect a 
considerable financial involvement of these organizations, and this power is used to 
corrupt the decision makers. The corruption gaps legislation are issues that not only 
facilitates the expansion of drug trafficking, but also extend human trafficking to 
western destinations.  
 
The frozen conflicts 
The Moldovan Transnistrian conflict, the Azero Armenian conflict, the conflict 
in Georgia, the conflict in Chechnya. Some authors highlight more other areas and 
sources of instability for The Wider Black Sea Region: Bosnia and Kosovo, where 
ethnic and inter religious tensions remain a risk of conflict and instability. In the ex 
Yugoslav territory there are many refugees or displaced people, which allow us to 
believe that in this area, still, are some elements that can be a source of instability. 
Obviously, the settlement of frozen conflicts is the attribute of all states in the 
region,  but  their  resolution  will  not  be  possible  without  the  involvement  of  the Black Sea: a geopolitical and economic perspective of the eastern border of the euro atlantic structures  140 
international  community.  They  represent  a  major  obstacle  to  the  success  of  any 
regional or global initiatives that would lead to stabilize the South Caucasus. Any 
strategy must be preceded by the settlement of these conflicts. The Euro Atlantic 
structures have an important role in this process and they must show a high interest 
and a more responsible involvement in resolving these conflicts. 
Even  if  the  risks,  the  dangers  and  the  threats  in  the  regional  security 
environment exist, Black Sea Region shows a wide range of opportunities for the 
developing  process  of  creating  a  space  of  peace,  security  and  prosperity.  By 
increasing  regional  military  cooperation  and  by  the  recent  EU  step  to  enhance 
cooperation  between  countries  bordering  the  Black  Sea,  to which  Romania,  as  a 
member of both organizations, brings a more active contribution, The Wider Black 
Sea Region will become a pillar of stability, security and sustainable development, will 
become  an  area  of  confluence  of  economic,  political  and  military  security 
components, having an influence in the Middle East and Central Asian areas, in the 
aspect of a better management of the risks caused by the frozen conflicts in the 
region. 
In  our  opinion,  the  international  community  must  take  an  approach  that 
includes efforts to persuade the separatist parties that their accomplishments are only 
temporary and will not be permanent unless they are recognized by the international 
community. It is also necessary for the OSCE and UN to show more attention on 
the humanitarian problem (refugees). For Russia is essential to understand that the 
stability of South Caucasus influence the stability of the North Caucasus.  
 
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Romanian Economic and Business Review –

The European Council: Presidency Conclusions,

BLACK SEA: A GEOPOLITICAL AND ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVE OF THE EASTERN BORDER OF THE EURO-ATLANTIC STRUCTURES

http://www.rebe.rau.ro/RePEc/rau/journl/SU10/REBE-SU10-A10.pdf

BLACK SEA: A GEOPOLITICAL AND ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVE OF THE EASTERN BORDER OF THE EURO-ATLANTIC STRUCTURES

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