As the Black Sea region gains increasing strategic importance within the broader Euro-Atlantic environment, the panel discussion “Black Sea Security and Connectivity in an Evolving Euro-Atlantic Environment,” held within the framework of the Yerevan Dialogue 2026 and co-hosted by the German Marshall Fund and the GlobalFocus Center, explored the intersection of regional security and economic connectivity.
The discussion focused on the growing relevance of the Black Sea as a critical junction between geopolitical dynamics and trade connectivity. Participants examined how disruptions affecting maritime security and trade routes are reshaping regional priorities while increasing the significance of alternative corridors connecting Europe with the South Caucasus, the Caspian region, and Central Asia.
Moderated by Oana Cristina Popa, Distinguished Fellow of the German Marshall Fund in Bucharest and former EU Ambassador to Montenegro and Romania’s Ambassador to Serbia and Croatia, the panel featured Daniel Kliman, Senior Vice President for Global Power Shifts of the German Marshall Fund of the United States; Oana Popescu-Zamfir, Director of the GlobalFocus Center of Romania; Mane Adamyan, Representative of Adamian Consulting and Former Adviser to the Deputy Prime Minister and Former Deputy Minister of Economy of Armenia; Justyna Gotkowska, Deputy Director and Head of the Security Department of the Centre for Eastern Studies of Poland; and Maria Simeonova, Head of the Sofia Office of the European Council on Foreign Relations of Bulgaria.
Particular attention was devoted to the relationship between security and infrastructure development, including regional initiatives designed to strengthen resilience, diversification, and cooperation grounded in international norms. Participants emphasized that the Black Sea region is becoming increasingly integrated into a wider Euro-Atlantic strategic framework, where coordinated approaches to connectivity and security remain essential for promoting long-term stability and sustainable development.
