Maritime Security in the Black Sea: Implications for Eastern and Central Europe
On June 7 2022, the Institute for Foreign Affairs and Trade (IFAT) held an online conference entitled “Maritime Security in the Black Sea: Implications for Eastern and Central Europe”. During the conference, Tinatin Khidasheli (Civic IDEA, Chairperson; Georgia, Former Minister of Defense), Michael van Ginkel (Institute for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Visiting Budapest Fellow), Paul Beckley (North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Maritime Analyst), Dr. Barış Hasan (University of Pécs, Post-doctoral Research Fellow), and János T. Barabás (Institute for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Senior Analyst) discussed the threats to Black Sea security and their impact on regional prosperity. The event was moderated by György Ilyash (Institute for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Research Fellow).
The speakers discussed the importance of the maritime domain and current threats to security in the Black Sea. Threats posed by state and non-state actors include arms trafficking, environmental degradation, cybercrime, and infringements on territorial sovereignty. It was highlighted that the complicated nature of security architecture in the Black Sea, including porous borders, overlaps in jurisdiction, and high levels of traffic, makes the region susceptible to Russian hybrid warfare tactics.
Several past and present maritime initiatives were talked about, along with ways to improve the regional security architecture. NATO initiatives and outreach programs, including the Substantial NATO-Georgia Package and Partnership for Peace, have enhanced the capacities and capabilities of NATO member states and aligned nations in the maritime domain. While investments have been made by NATO to improve overall high-end combat capabilities, a stronger shift should be made towards distributed operations to defend and deter against maritime threats.
Multilateral initiatives organized by the EU and Turkey have also enhanced maritime security, including through the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, the Black Sea Littoral States Border/Coast Guard Agencies Cooperation Forum, Black Sea Synergy, and the Three Seas Initiative. A cohesive maritime strategy for the Black Sea could enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of existing regional maritime initiatives. While improving upon current security initiatives is important, the security priority remains addressing the invasion of Ukraine. It remains critically important that security mechanisms in the Black Sea that are already in place be activated and used to their full potential to address Russian aggression.
The ramifications of the war in Ukraine were also considered. From an economic perspective, Russian occupation of Ukrainian coastal territories could increase their leverage over important trade routes and commodity exports. The war has led to increased armament and distrust within the Black Sea Region with important geopolitical consequences. NATO members have also begun taking the security threat posed by Russia more seriously by investing more heavily in defense spending and taking important steps towards increased solidarity. While signs of enhanced cooperation within NATO are visible, the speakers underscored that a strong message of unity and strength from NATO was still needed in this
critical time.
For the full recording please click on the link below or visit our YouTube-channel!