The first edition of the Black Sea and Balkans Security Forum, held on 8-9 June 2017, brought together over 200 security experts, diplomats, historians, political scientists, doctoral students and master students, mass media representatives and private companies. The international event was organized in Constanța by New Strategy Center, in partnership with the Ovidius University of Constanța, the Constanța Metropolitan Area and the Romanian Diplomatic Institute. With the co-sponsorship of the Public Diplomacy Division of NATO, the Forum was set to become a point of reference on strategic and topical debates in the region. The conference benefited from the expertise of Romanian and NATO officials, as well as reputable experts from the USA, Great Britain, Israel, Italy, Poland, but also from the Balkans and the Black Sea region: Turkey, Greece, Ukraine, Republic of Moldova, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Serbia, Croatia, Montenegro. On topics ranging from cyber and energy security to education and economic cooperation, the 2017 edition of the Forum was the first step towards a leading regional platform on the most stringent issues in defence, security and international relations.
Establishing itself as a unique and significant regional event, the 2018 edition of the „Black Sea and Balkans Security Forum” was organized by New Strategy Center, in partnership with the Ovidius University of Constanța and the Constanța Metropolitan Area, with the support of the Public Diplomacy Division of NATO. The event brought together a great array of important actors in the domain of regional security including academics, analysts, officials, representatives of the NGO community, and foreign experts. Among the various topics debated during this conference are: strategic challenges, the militarization of the Black Sea and the security of the Eastern Mediterranean, cyber security challenges, EU enlargement issues, financial challenges, the development of the region through the Three Seas Initiative, and many others. In anticipation for the Romanian Presidency of the EU Council that was scheduled to take place in the first half of 2019, the discussion has also centered around the need for EU-NATO cooperation in the defence field.
The third edition of the „Black Sea and Balkans Security Forum” took place in 2019 in Constanța and was organized in partnership with the Ovidius University, and the Constanța Metropolitan Area, alongside the Public Diplomacy Division of NATO, under the Patronage of the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the EU. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania and the Ministry of National Defence of Romania provided support as institutional partners. Some of the themes discussed during this conference have included the importance of the transatlantic link for regional security, EU and NATO cooperation, cyber threats, climate change, industrial cooperation in the defence sector, militarization of the Black Sea region, military mobility, informational warfare, economic challenges, and many others. The event has benefitted from the contribution of 500 officials, stakeholders and experts in the security and International Relations domains, as well as high-ranking officials both from Romania and abroad.
The fourth edition of the „Black Sea and Balkans Security Forum” was organized in partnership with the University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine in Bucharest in the unique context created by the pandemic, on 4-5 September. As institutional partners, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania and the Ministry of National Defence of Romania supported the 2020 edition, in addition to the co-sponsorship of the Public Diplomacy Division of NATO. Following the required safety measures, the conference took place in a hybrid format, featuring both the physical as well as virtual presence of speakers and participants. The event benefitted from the presence and expertise of high-ranking officials, civilians, and military, as well as reputable Romanian and foreign experts. Over the course of the conference a wide variety of subjects have been discussed, such as: the EU cooperation in the context of the pandemic, the strategic importance of the Black Sea, NATO solidarity on the Eastern Flank, the impact of the pandemic on the economic, educational, and medical domains and the lessons learned, cooperation opportunities in outer space, and energy security in the Black Sea. To ensure the safety of everyone involved, the conference was organized in compliance with all preventative measures against the SARS-COV2 virus.
Officials, scholars, analysts, representatives of non-governmental organizations and international experts will get together for the 5th edition of the Black Sea and Balkans Security Forum, which took place on 3-4 September, in a hybrid format.
Organized by New Strategy Center, with the institutional support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of National Defence of Romania, the Forum benefited from the support of the Public Diplomacy Division of NATO and is established as a leading debate platform in the region.
The sixth edition of the Black Sea and Balkans Security forum took place in 2022 and was organized in partnership with the University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine in Bucharest, on 2-3 September. As institutional partners, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania and the Ministry of National Defence of Romania supported the 2022 edition and the co-sponsorship of the Public Diplomacy Division of NATO.
This edition was organized in the unique context of Russia’s illegal and unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. Thus, the forum was focused on the EU’s and NATO’s unconditional support for Ukraine and how can Ukraine win the war against Russia, the strategic partnership between the EU and NATO, and the future of the two strategic documents in an unprecedented international context, the necessity to sustain the Western Balkans countries European path, the lessons learned for NATO from the war in Ukraine, the importance of UAV’s in the new generation warfare, the energy security and opportunities for energy supply diversification in the Black Sea region and the economic impact of the war in Ukraine at a global level.
The forum brought together incumbent and former officials, both civilian and military, opinion-shapers, researchers, analysts, academics, think tanks and other relevant NGOs, international experts, and other stakeholders.
All working sessions were open to the media and interested public.
„Although we are talking about a young organization (New Strategy Center) - the forum itself also being young, only on its fourth edition – I believe enough convincing arguments have accumulated, so that one can say that Black Sea Security Forum has earned its role as one of the most important events debating issues of security not only in the Black Sea and Balkans regions but about security on a global scale.”
“The fourth edition comes in a very particular moment where the necessity, and the urgent necessity, I may add, of regional cooperation is of utmost importance. Think tanking is important as we are reinventing or reshaping a global order which has been very much `under attack`”
“I always find the forums organized by New Strategy Center to be a source of new ideas. `{`…`}` Coming from the Republic of Moldova, I consider these occasions or opportunities to spark new ideas a possibility to improve the decision-making process in our countries and to build lasting bridges in time.”
