CO-SPONSORS:

The United States European Command and the Black Sea Security Program, Harvard University

VENUE:

Marriott Hotel, Munich (Schwabing), Germany

BACKGROUND:

Since the end of the Cold War, radical systematic changes and geopolitical shifts in the Black Sea region have created instability, weakened nation-states, fostered unhealthy economic competition for hydrocarbon resources and a host of other transnational issues. New security threats both internal and external have emerged. These threats include a complicated network of terrorism, radical religious extremism, organized crime, human trafficking, illegal migration, money laundering, internal government corruption, narcotics and weapons smuggling. In addition, there are regions within the Black Sea states that are potential breeding grounds of instability. This conference is an effort to assist in ensuring a Black Sea region that is stable, secure, and economically prosperous, while strengthening the foundation of democratic principles.

PURPOSE & OBJECTIVES:

Engage countries in the Black Sea in an effort to expand opportunities, strengthen Euro-Atlantic ties and candidly discuss and explore practical ways of enhancing regional cooperative security. Survey current ‘soft’ security risks and threats to stability, their nature and the dynamics that sustain risks. Examine mechanisms, which enhance national and international cooperative responses to manage and subsequently serve to combat and diminish these threats.

PARTICIPANTS:

60 participants from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Turkey and the Ukraine. Participants will be primarily from the Ministries of Defense, Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Ministries of the Interior and other appropriate government ministries and agencies.

METHODOLOGY:

The conference will include a series of moderated plenary sessions followed by break-out/workshop sessions. This conference will be conducted in Russian and English.

FURTHER INFORMATION:

Phone: +49 (8821) 750-807

FAX: +49 (8821) 750-841

E-Mail: martinm@marshallcenter.org

web: http://www.marshallcenter.org

AGENDA (as of 22 October 2004)

SUNDAY, 05 DECEMBER

Registration

1700-1745

Speaker/Moderator Meeting: MC Plans Officer, speakers, moderators, facilitators and interpreters.

MONDAY, 6 DECEMBER

0900-0945

Opening Remarks:

Dr. John C. Rose, Director, George C. Marshall Center.

Dr. Sergei Konoplynov, Director, BSSP/Harvard University.

Keynote Address: Ambassador J.D. Crouch, PhD., U.S. Ambassador to Romania. (inv)

Plenary

0945-1030

Panel 1: What is Regional Cooperation and Why it is Indispensable

Moderator: Mr. Michael Martin, Marshall Center.

Speaker: Dr. Soner Cagaptay, Senior Fellow/Director, The Washington Institute, Turkey. (conf)

1030-1100

Coffee Break

1100-1200

Panel 2: Contemporary Black Sea Transnational Issues

Moderator: Major Patrick Crabb, U.S. Army Attachй (FAO) to the Ukraine. (conf)

Speaker: Dr. Temuri Yakobashvili, Vice President, Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies, Georgia. (conf)

1200-1215

Group Photo

1215-1315

Lunch

1315-1515

Panel 3: International Political Institutions and Regional Security

Moderator: Dr. Nicolae Chirtoaca, Director, Euro-Atlantic Center of Moldova, Moldova. (conf)

Speaker: Dr. Antje Herrberg, Director, Global Security, East-West Institute, Germany. (conf)

Topic: tbd

Speaker: Dr. Jeffrey Simon, National Defense University, USA. (conf)

Topic: tbd

Plenary

1515-1545

Coffee Break

1545-1730

Working Group’s Session I:

1 - How to engage countries in the Black Sea in an effort to expand opportunities, strengthen Euro-Atlantic ties in enhancing regional cooperative security. Germany (pending)

2 - Countering ‘soft’ security risks and threats to stability. Dr. Antje Herrberg, Germany. (conf)

3 - Identify mechanisms that enhance national and international cooperative responses to confront and diminish regional threats. Dr. Jeffrey Simon, National Defense University, USA. (conf)

4 - The role of national sovereignty in regional cooperation. Major Patrick Crabb, U.S. Army Attachй (FAO) to the Ukraine. (conf)

Breakout Rooms

1900-2000

Reception – hosted by the Black Sea Security Program, Harvard

TUESDAY, 7 DECEMBER 2004

0900-1000

Panel 4: Counter Proliferation and its Challenges

Moderator: representative from Azerbaijan. (pending)

Speaker: Dr. Boris Andresyuk, National Security and Defense Committee, Parliament of Ukraine. (conf)

Plenary

1000-1030

Coffee Break

1030-1130

Panel 5: Crisis Management Cooperation in Regional Security: The BSEC Contribution to Regional Security and Stability.

Moderator: Colonel Bernhard Schulte Berge, Chief, Political and Military Affairs, German MoD. (conf)

Speaker: Mr. Papanicolaou, Director General International Center for Black Seas Studies, Greece. (conf)

1130-1300

Lunch

1300-1330

George Marshall Center Orientation

1330-1500

Panel 6: Border & Maritime Security Issues

Moderator: Dr. Soner Cagaptay, Senior Fellow/Director The Washington Institute, Turkey. (conf)

Speaker: Dr. Vladimir Socor, Bradely Senior Fellow, Institute for Strategic and Political Studies. (conf)

Topic: tbd

Speaker: Rear Admiral Fikret Gunes, NATO Component Command South, Turkey. (conf).

Topic: NATO Vision on Maritime Security Issues in the Region

Plenary

1500-1530

Coffee Break

1530-1730

Working Group’s Session II: Conference Analysis and Recommendations.

1 - follow-on session II.

2 - follow-on session II.

3 - follow-on session II.

4 - follow-on session II.

WEDNESDAY, 8 DECEMBER 2004

0900-1030

Panel 7: The Portents of Partnership for Peace in Black Sea Regional Security

Moderator: Dr. Jeffrey Simon, National Defense University, USA. (conf)

Speaker: Dr. Vladislaw P. Sherstyuk, First Deputy Secretary, Security Council of the Russian Federation, Russia. (change pending)

Topic: tbd

Speaker: NATO speaker. Pending from NATO HQ. (tbd)

Topic: tbd

Plenary

1030-1100

Coffee Break

1100-1200

Panel 8: The Sine Qua Non of Future Regional Cooperation

Moderator: Dr. Yevhen Sharov, Advisor to the Director, National Institute for Strategic Studies, the Ukraine. (conf)

Speaker: Mr. Ovidiu Dranga, Deputy Secretary of State, Romanian Ministry of Defense, Romania. (conf)

1200-1315

Lunch

1315-1430

Working Group’s Session III: Conference Analysis and Recommendations.

1 - follow-on session III.

2 - follow-on session III.

3 - follow-on session III.

4 - follow-on session III.

1430-1530

Presentation of Working Group’s Product

Plenary

1530-1600

Closing Remarks:

Dr. Sergei Konoplyov, Director, BSSP/Harvard University.

Dr. John C. Rose, Director, George C. Marshall Center.