MR. GEORGE NICULESCU NATO INTERNATIONAL STAFF POLITICAL AFFAIRS AND SECURITY POLICY DIVISION

1. 14TH PFP INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH SEMINAREFORIE NORD, ROMANIA 06-07 JUNE 2005NATO AND THE WIDER BLACK SEA MR. GEORGE NICULESCU NATO INTERNATIONAL STAFF POLITICAL AFFAIRS AND SECURITY POLICY DIVISION PFP AND COOPERATION PROGRAMMES

2. BACKGROUND • Nato’s involvement in the Wider Black Sea: cooperative security approach • Istanbul summit: cornerstone for Nato’s engagement • Bulgaria and Romania new members • Recognised importance of the region for Euro-Atlantic security • Ready to explore further means to strengthening security and stability, building upon existing forms of regional co-operation

3. KEY QUESTIONS • Why Does the Wider Black Sea Matter for NATO? • How Does NATO Contribute to Regional Stability and Security? • Why and How Might NATO Extend Its Support to Regional Co-operation?

4. Why Does the Wider Black Sea Matter for NATO? • Key Role in Inducing and Supporting Reforms in Georgia, and Ukraine, as well as in Moldova, Armenia, and Azerbaijan; • “Frozen conflicts” and organised crime threaten Euro-Atlantic security; • Share with the EU the burden of taking the European project across the Black Sea • Security of transport routes of the Caspian energy to Europe

5. How Does NATO Contribute to Regional Stability and Security? • All regional Partners engaged in existing cooperation programmes with NATO, but… • No regional focus on the region • No formal relations with regional initiatives. • Could NATO Do More? • Use PAP-DIB label and mechanisms to promote defence and security reform • Network of mentoring projects to support IPAP Nations • Wider Black Sea Education for Defence Reforms - Contribution to NATO’s Evolving Education for Reform Initiative: Black Sea Scholarships and Support Wider Access to the EAPN

6. Why and How Might NATO Extend Its Support to Regional Co-operation? • Why? • Reinforce efforts to assist individual Partners to implement defence and wider reforms • Enhance the framework for providing assistance to multinational projects • Trans-national security risks better dealt with in regional formats • Overcome the paralysis of regional co-operation in the Caucasus • Potential co-operation with other international organisations – a bonus

7. Why and How Might NATO Extend Its Support to Regional Co-operation? • How? • First Allied meeting: • Maintain the issue on the agenda • Need to complement and add value to existing efforts • Primacy to local and regional initiatives • Involve Partners from the region in the discussion, when appropriate • A gradual process focusing, initially, on small, concrete proposals to be launched in the near future

8. Why and How Might NATO Extend Its Support to Regional Co-operation? • How? • Informal working level expert group of the willing to draft a “food for thought” paper • Keep the NATO Committees updated with what is going on • Possibly invite high level representatives of BLACKSEAFOR and BSEC at EAPC meetings

9. Why and How Might NATO Extend Its Support to Regional Co-operation? • Challenges Ahead • Need for IDEAS of small, practical projects, supported by all Allies from the region, that add value in areas like: • security dialogue • building democratic institutions • military education, training and exercises • border security • WMD counter-proliferation • counter-terrorism • Civil Emergencies Planning • Security of energy routes • Scientific and Environmental Co-operation

10. Why and How Might NATO Extend Its Support to Regional Co-operation? • Challenges Ahead • Black Sea region = littoral states, Wider Black Sea, or …BOTH, on a case by case basis? • Deal with political sensitivities related to regional co-operation

11. Conclusions • Strong reasons for NATO to expand its role in the Wider Black Sea region • Need for: • Political will from Allies and Partners to promote and extend democracy and stability in the region • Imagination to set up new projects or support existing ones • Perseverance to implement agreed projects