Security and Cooperation in the Black Sea Region

The Black Sea has a relevant strategic location: it is positioned at the intersection of Europe and Asia, between the vast Russian territory and the Middle East and it directly connects South-Eastern Europe to Western Europe through the Danube river, but it is also connected with the Mediterranean Sea and currently the NATO and EU expansions have transformed it in a close neighbourhood for the Euro-Atlantic great powers. Also, the Black Sea region is important for the huge diversity of peoples and cultures which characterise riverside countries, a diversity which represents both a source of tension and conflicts and one of cultural richness. Also, one should not forget the economic factor, especially natural resources, which make the Black Sea a region of strategic interest for the Western economic circuits.