Federico Bordonaro

Quanto è realistica la formazione di un’area integrata comprendente i paesi della “grande regione del Mar Nero”? Se lo chiede l’analista armeno Haroutiun Khachatrian per ISN-Security Watch:

While the concept of the “Wider Black Sea” geopolitical region looks promising given the support of external powers such as the US and the EU, who see the region as an important buffer between Europe and the Middle East, upon initial examination, the concept seems hardly viable, for the states that comprise it have little in common.

The nations included in this geopolitical labeling (Turkey, Georgia, Russia, Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Moldova, Greece and some of the Balkan states) are all in close proximity to the Black Sea, but differ in many respects: language, religion, culture and governmental organization, among other things.

Some share historical problems, and unresolved territorial and ethnic conflicts (mostly inherited from the communist regimes) spoil the relations of many of these countries.

Finally, the region is under the competing influence of the three “geopolitical poles” - Russia, the US and the EU - a fact that seems to make every possibility of a common security approach improbable.