Regional cooperation and economic interaction plays a significant role in the development and international integration of the Black Sea countries. Besides, economic cooperation instead of conflict became the basis upon which the Organisation of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation was established in 1992.
Today, despite the economic synergies developed among the countries, regional integration remains at low level; while more importantly, tension and conflicts have not been prevented. Confidence Building Measures are actions of political, economic, environmental and cultural character that aim to foster trust and facilitate communication among parties.
Within this context, the International Centre for Black Sea Studies (ICBSS) – in cooperation with Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF) – will organise a first ever Conference on Confidence Building in the Black Sea, in Athens, Greece. The event aims to provide a platform for dialogue for national and regional stakeholders, to stimulate the discussion on building confidence through cross-pillar actions at economic, environmental, cultural and socials levels.
Objectives
- to assess the level of non-military confidence building measures in the Black Sea region;
- to highlight existing actions and processes, as a tool to support dialogue and understanding among parties;
- to share knowledge and best practices of CBMs from other regions.
Nicole Deitelhoff, executive director at PRIF, will open the conference with a welcome address. Hans-Joachim Spanger, associate researcher, participates in the panel on paradigms and relevant concepts of confidence building.
When: Monday, December 9, 2019 at 09:30
Where: Royal Olympic Hotel, Athens, Greece
The event’s working language is English. A registration form is available on the website of the International Centre for Black Sea Studies. The complete draft agenda of the conference is provided here.