The Security Context in the Black Sea Region

This book on the security context in the Black Sea region is a timely endeavour and substantive contribution to understanding the state of play in the region and its linkages to the rest of the world. With contributions from analysts from Europe, the United States, Russia, Ukraine and Turkey, the book provides a holistic perspective. Post-Cold War developments have increased interest in the Black Sea region and the role of the regional and extra-regional actors in its security issues: this volume examines the position of the United States; NATO?s involvement; the EU?s engagement; Russia and Turkey?s aspirations alongside the policies of the other states in the region as they seek a role for themselves. It illustrates and investigates key concerns such as security, energy and energy security, regionalism and good governance; and questions why a cooperative security framework (or other regional schemes which could accommodate the needs of all stakeholders) has to date never become a reality.

This book adds to the growing body of research on the region, presenting the facts of the current situation and asking what can be done in the Black Sea region for it to survive given its precarious security environment.

This book was published as a special issue of Southeast European and Black Sea Studies.

Preface Dimitrios Triantaphyllou 1. The Security Paradoxes of the Black Sea Region Dimitrios Triantaphyllou 2. Geopolitics, (sub)Regionalism, Discourse and a Troubled ‘Power Triangle’ in the Black Sea Yannis Tsantoulis 3. Towards a Comprehensive Regional Security Framework in the Black Sea Region after the Russia-Georgia War Oksana Antonenko 4. Geographical Blessing versus Geopolitical Curse: Great Power Security Agendas for the Black Sea Region and a Turkish Alternative Mustafa Aydin 5. The Impact of the Caucasus Crisis on Regional and European Security Nadia Alexandrova-Arbatova 6. The United States and Security in the Black Sea Region Stephen F. Larrabee 7. Russian and European Neighbourhood Policies Compared Andrew WilsonandNicu Popescu 8. The European Union and Security in the Black Sea Region after the Georgia Crisis Sabine Fischer 9. Black Sea Security as a Regional Concern for the Black Sea States and the Global Powers Sergiy Glebov 10. Ukraine Needs to Decide its Strategic Alignment Jeffrey Simon

Dimitrios Triantaphyllou isDirector General of the International Centre for Black Sea Studies (ICBSS) in Athens, and Assistant Professor of International Relations at the University of the Aegean, Rhodes, Greece.