Authors: Eftychia Bakopoulou, Leonidas Chryssanthopoulos, Zefi Dimadama, Cameron Fraser, Tedo Japaridze, Andrey Kondakov, Spyros Kouvelis, Haydar Ozkan, Ioannis Stribis

Preface by: Zefi Dimadama

In the light of the 20th Anniversary of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization (BSEC), the International Centre for Black Sea Studies (ICBSS), as a BSEC related body and its acknowledged think tank, is taking the initiative, with this Xenophon Paper Anniversary Edition, to create a publication with the valuable contribution of experts and Heads of the Organization of the BSEC and its related bodies, based on the twofold concept of the role and the progress of the BSEC Organization and its related bodies and the new priorities of the Black Sea region.

The last twenty years, the Organization of the BSEC, as a multilateral economic initiative has managed to promote stability and prosperity among the Member States while encouraging and inspiring interaction and cooperation in the Black Sea region. Nevertheless, after these years of modest, yet incremental evolution of the Organization, several questions seem to remain unanswered.

The edition is available here.

The post Xenophon Paper No.12 appeared first on ICBSS - International Centre for Black Sea Studies.

Author: Ian O. Lesser

Preface by: Dimitrios Triantaphyllou

The wider Black Sea area is rapidly becoming a focal point of interest for a number of extra-regional actors that can also be considered, in view of their active involvement, to be stakeholders. As Ian Lesser, the author of this new Xenophon Paper suggests, the Black Sea is strategically signifi cant because it is an important part of the European security environment, it is a political and logistical hub for power projection to crisis-prone areas beyond the Black Sea basin and it is important in its own right because of its impressive development potential but also because it harbors many fl ashpoints for regional conflict.

A fundamental question that emerges from reading this Paper is whether there is a need for developing Black Sea identity as a distinct security space or whether the Black Sea should be treated ‘as part of a larger geographical continuum’. The logical conclusion is that a thorough consideration of both aforementioned approaches is necessary and inevitable.

The edition is available here.

The post Xenophon Paper No.4 appeared first on ICBSS - International Centre for Black Sea Studies.

Author: Eleni Fotiou

Since the start of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government’s second term in office (July 2007 to date), which coincided with an upgrading of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Senior Advisor Ahmet Davutoglu’s role, Turkey’s foreign policy has begun to pursue a regional “soft power” role. The Georgian-Russian war of August 2008 served as a catalyst for Turkey’s immediate quest for security in pro-active terms; in the context of the “zero-problems with neighbours” policy (“komşular arası sıfır problem”) and “rhythmic diplomacy” (“ritmik diplomasi”), the Turkish leadership proposed the establishment of a “Caucasus Stability and Cooperation Platform”. In this paper, the author attempts to assess the potential of this initiative by looking at the motives and the leverage of Turkish foreign policy, and by analysing the real position, the perceptions and intentions of the various regional and external stakeholders, namely Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia, the United States and the European Union. Essentially, the author seeks to present the limitations of the initiative and the opportunities that emerge through alternative frameworks for regional cooperation.

The edition is available here.

The post Policy Brief n.16 appeared first on ICBSS - International Centre for Black Sea Studies.

Authors: Zefi Dimadama, Boris Videv

Managing Editor: Athina Korovesi

Renewable energy sources (wind, solar energy, hydropower, ocean energy, geothermal energy, biomass and bio fuels) are the main alternatives to fossil fuels that successfully contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, diversification of energy supplies and reduce the dependence on unreliable and volatile markets of fossil fuels, especially in terms of oil and gas. The EU has been estimated as a leader in the development of renewable energy sources. It holds 40 percent of the world's patents in the field of renewable energy sources and in 2012 almost half (44%) of global capacity to produce energy from renewable sources (excluding hydropower) was located in the EU. Currently, the sector of energy production from renewable sources in the EU employs about 1.2 million people. EU legislation on the promotion of renewable energy sources has evolved considerably in the recent years. As a main priority in the “Horizon 2020” the EU has included the intelligent transformation of European cities into smart energy hubs. Around 200 million euros would be provided as a program budget for research and innovation in the framework of “Horizon 2020” for funding the smart cities.

The edition is available here.

The post Policy Brief n.32 appeared first on ICBSS - International Centre for Black Sea Studies.

Author: John Roberts

Preface by: Dimitrios Triantaphyllou

Energy security has become one of the most pressing issues of our times, along with its close relative cousin, global warming, induced by human activities. As the world demand for energy grows, we come to realize that the planet’s traditional energy resources are not infi nite as they still seemed to be a couple of decades back. With China and India steadily rising in the East, as major energy importers and consumers, we may be witnessing a revival of old-fashioned ‘Mackinderian’ geopolitics on a global scale. In the absence of an internationally agreed framework for relationships among producer, consumer and transit countries, individual nations seem to be locked in fi erce competition for access to, or control of, energy resources, markets and routes involving state actors and private interests alike.

The wider Black Sea region is emerging as an increasingly important player in the global geopolitics of energy. The region is home to two major energy actors, Azerbaijan and more particularly Russia, the foremost energy producer in the world. It is also the main conduit for rich hydrocarbon resources originating in the Caspian basin and the northern portion of the Middle East. As a result, practically all the states of the wider Black Sea area and their representative regional body, the Organisation of the BSEC, have a vital stake in the development of this new energy hub and reap the potential benefi ts that go with it. The EU, the leading energy importer in the world, which recently extended its borders to the shores of the Black Sea, fi nds itself at the centre of an energy debate immediately affecting the BSEC countries. At a time when serious efforts are being made toward enhancing interaction and cooperation between the BSEC and EU institutions, the issue of energy security acquires special signifi cance in both economical and political terms.

The edition is available here.

The post Xenophon Paper No.3 appeared first on ICBSS - International Centre for Black Sea Studies.

Author: John Roberts

Energy security is one of the most important priorities of the European Union. In this context Azerbaijan is capable of playing two key roles in helping to ensure stable gas supplies to Europe: as a producer in its own right and as a prospective entry point for the supplies from the southern shores of the Caspian Sea. But there are both political and commercial complications. This Policy Brief explores Azerbaijan’s complex energy relations with other regional actors such as Russia, Iran, Turkmenistan and Greece. For Azerbaijan (and also Turkmenistan), establishing a direct connection between Turkey and Austria is likely to prove the key element for increasing their gas exports to the European market.

The edition is available here.

The post Policy Brief n.15 appeared first on ICBSS - International Centre for Black Sea Studies.

Author: Seven Erdoğan

Managing Editor: Athina Korovesi

Each enlargement process of the European Union (EU) brings along new neighborhoods and alters the old ones. This motivates EU to develop a way to deal with the new or old neighborhoods to transform them in line with European values and to protect the zone of security, peace and stability in Europe. This paper aims to deal with the EU’s involvement in the Black Sea region. In this scope, firstly, the EU policy mechanisms, namely the European Neighborhood Policy (ENP), the Black Sea Synergy and the Eastern Partnership (EaP), will be considered to be used in the relations with the Black Sea countries. Secondly, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the EU in its engagement to the Black Sea region will be identified. The paper finally, will conclude that the EU has to devote more resources and efforts for the Black Sea region to enhance its strengths, to mitigate its weaknesses, to utilize the opportunities and to protect itself from the threats of its new neighborhood.

The edition is available here.

 

The post Policy Brief n.31 appeared first on ICBSS - International Centre for Black Sea Studies.

Author: Styopa Safaryan, Elkhan Nuriyev, Marin Lessenski, Joseph Chakhvashvili, Panagiota Manoli, Igor Munteanu, Nicolae Micu, Nadia Alexandrova Arbatova, Aleksandar Fatic, Mustafa Aydin, Omer Fazlioglu, Grigoriy Perepelytsia Editor Panagiota Manoli

Preface by: Dimitrios Triantaphyllou

What have been the main policy concerns of the countries of the Black Sea region when joining a regional structure such as the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC)? This is the main question that this edited volume of the Xenophon Paper series deals with.

As the Organisation of the BSEC has reached its fifteenth Anniversary it is of value to identify common stands along with diversified views on the priorities of Black Sea cooperation as seen by experts coming from within the region. In devising a future strategy for the BSEC, in particular, but also in assessing the prospects of regional cooperation in any area of the world it is imperative to identify the main concerns of the local players and stakeholders.

The edition is available here.

The post Xenophon Paper No.2 appeared first on ICBSS - International Centre for Black Sea Studies.

Author: Ioannis Stribis

The launch of the Black Sea Synergy initiative by the European Union brought into the discussion the concept of the Black Sea Sectoral Partnerships as tools for the effective implementation of this policy, linking stakeholders from the region (the European Union, the Organisation of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation and their member states) and beyond. The exact modalities of such Partnerships remain however unclear. After a short presentation of the relevant experience acquired in the framework of the Northern Dimension, the Policy Brief endeavours to identify the main elements that are necessary in order to develop effective Black Sea Partnerships. In this respect a Partnership should therefore be project- or programme-oriented, ensure the participation of and ownership by all interested stakeholders, provide for meaningful funding opportunities and have a smooth and efficient governance scheme. Particular attention should be paid as well to the process of the generation of ideas that would eventually be developed as concrete Partnerships.

The edition is available here.

The post Policy Brief n.14 appeared first on ICBSS - International Centre for Black Sea Studies.

Author: Argyro Spyridaki

Managing Editor: Athina Korovesi

Transport has had a prominent position in human history because it is tightly connected with the existence of human life and activity. The need for communication and the trade development, especially in the globalized economy, have boosted the transport industry to become one of the most dynamic sectors and play a key role for the distribution of the freight flows globally. In addition to this, the traveling from one end of the earth to another has been significantly facilitated by the existence of the trains, airplanes, ships, cars and the combination of the above modes of transport. In the past, transport also contributed to the shape of the human geography as the transportation networks played an important role in the military conflicts as well as the heyday and decline of major cities.

The edition is available here.

The post Policy Brief n.30 appeared first on ICBSS - International Centre for Black Sea Studies.