Publication

Black Sea regional identity is difficult to define with precision, and is a relatively new concept. Relationships between states are fragile and sometimes conflict-prone, and external relationships vary widely. A first wave of regionalist activity in the early 1990s focused on asserting the area’s post-Cold War international standing, while a second wave early in this decade has been driven more by sectoral issues and external engagement. As regional identity coalesces, tension between EU and Russian influence is difficult to avoid, but the EU’s eastern expansion and growing role as trade partner has given it increasing gravitational pull.