- ІНСТИТУТ СХІД-ЗАХІД

PROJECTS

NARDA

PROJECT ON COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT (PCaRD)

EU ACCESSION: PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS FOR UKRAINE'S RELATIONS WITH ITS CENTRAL EUROPEAN NEIGHBOURS

BLACK SEA STRATEGY GROUP

UKRAINIAN REGIONAL REPORT

UKRAINE AND THE EUROPEAN UNION

BLACK SEA STRATEGY GROUP (BSSG)

Given the strategic importance of the Black Sea region and the complexity of the political and security issues facing countries in the region, the EastWest Institute, with the support of the Carnegie Corporation of New York, was carrying out a 2-years long project - the Black Sea Strategy Group (BSSG) to strengthen regional cooperation, security and stability in the area.

The Strategy Group served as a regular forum for unofficial, frank and off-the-record dialogue on various political and security issues pertaining to the development of the Black Sea region. The provision of this framework enabled the Black Sea countries to address political and security issues of mutual concern and at the same time assisted the continued progress of BSEC as primarily a practically-oriented regional economic endeavor.

The BSSG brought together representatives of the Black Sea countries, as well as representatives from relevant international and other regional organizations and institutions to discuss political and security challenges facing the region. As such, the BSSG aimed to identify obstacles to regional cooperation and security and suggest opportunities and practical mechanisms for negotiating these challenges and strengthening regional stability.

Over the course of two years, a series of seven meetings of the Black Sea Strategy Group were convened by the EWI throughout the Black Sea region. Meeting reports were published after each BSSG event and widely disseminated. The project will also result in publication of a policy-relevant academic volume on cooperation and security in the Black Sea region, which should be prepared by April 2003.

Financial Source: Carnegie Corporation of New York

Events:

The First Meeting of The Black Sea Strategy Group “The Black Sea Strategy Group (BSSG): Strengthening Cooperation, Security and Stability in the Black Sea Region” took place in Bucharest, Romania, October 16-17, 2000 - few days prior to the Ministerial Meeting of the BSEC. It concentrated on the cooperative efforts in the region and addressed their effectiveness for the stability and security in the area. The forum determined concrete agenda for the following applied discussions and resulted in the relevant policy recommendations for dealing with separate issues of security in the Black Sea Region.

The Second BSSG Meeting “Energy and Pipeline Security in Black Sea Region”, which was conducted in Baku, Azerbaijan, on February 17, 2001, discussed the problems of energy challenges, which the countries of the Black Sea Region are facing in the terms of security, and touched upon the perspectives of the interstate cooperation in the sphere of energy transportation within the Black Sea area.

The Third Meeting of the Black Sea Strategy Group “Conflict Management and Resolution in the Black Sea Region” was held in Sofia, Bulgaria, on March 16-17, 2001. The event addressed frozen and ongoing conflicts, as well as interstate tensions within the Black Sea Region. It also touched upon current European approaches towards conflict resolution, discussed regional powers’ and foreign interests and involvement in the area of Black Sea regional security.

The Fourth Black Sea Strategy Group Meeting “Democratization Processes in the Black Sea Countries: Civil – Military Relations and Defense Reform Issues”, was held in Ankara, Turkey, on June 15-16, 2001. The Meeting addressed the issues of the influence of the European Security and Defense Policy on the defense policies in wider Europe; discussed Western standards for civil-military relations and requirements for defense reform, as well as suggested the overview of the respective assistance provided to the Black Sea region. The Meeting also tackled upon achievements and challenges in security sector reform and its implementation via defense reform, elaborated on the civilian control over the military as part of the democracy development in the region.

The Fifth BSSG Meeting “New Security Threats for the Black Sea Region” was held in Athens, on November 27-29, 2001, and addressed changing security perceptions towards the new security threats, as well outlined the situation in the Black Sea region with regard to the new security challenges. It also discussed in detail the challenges of the drug and arms trafficking, illegal migration, as well as terrorist threats for the region. The Fifth BSSG Meeting also concentrated on the issues of cooperation between the European Union and Black Sea region countries in the field of the Justice and Home Affairs.

The Sixth BSSG Meeting “Security and Stability in the Black Sea Region – Military Dimension and General Framework” was held in Kyiv, Ukraine, on February 28 – March 2, 2002. It addressed military capabilities of the states in the region, the aims and potential of the regional military powers, effectiveness and possible evolution of the confidence-building measures. The Meeting also attempted to summarize the findings of the BSSG Forum and suggest some policy-recommendations for national governments and international organizations for further strengthening of the stability and security in the Black Sea region.

The Final Black Sea Strategy Group Meeting “Transit Lands: Security Challenges and Opportunities for the Black Sea Region”, was held in Istanbul, Turkey, on November 15-16, 2002. The Final BSSG Meeting attempted to summarize the findings of the BSSG Forum and suggest some policy-recommendations for national governments and international organizations for further strengthening of the stability and security in the Black Sea region.

Reports on BSSG Meetings:

1. “The Black Sea Strategy Group (BSSG): Strengthening Cooperation, Security and Stability in the Black Sea Region”

2. “Energy and Pipeline Security in Black Sea Region”

3. “Conflict Management and Resolution in the Black Sea Region”

4. “Democratization Processes in the Black Sea Countries: Civil – Military Relations and Defense Reform Issues”

5. “New Security Threats for the Black Sea Region”

6. “Security and Stability in the Black Sea Region – Military Dimension and General Framework”

If you have any questions concerning this project, please contact EWI Kyiv Centre's Research Assistant- Mr. Taras Mykhalniuk, (e-mail: tmykhalniuk@iews.kiev.ua )