Xenophon Paper 2 pdf - ICBSS

The Southeast Europe Defence Ministerials (SEDM), as the title indicates, is the process
of defence cooperation under the aegis of the ministers of defence from Southeast Europe.
The countries of the western shore of the Black Sea – including Greece – are represented.
From the eastern Black Sea shore, Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia are also members.
SEDM has produced several results such as the International Peacekeeping Forces for
Southeastern Europe (SEEBRIG), the engineering corps (ETF), and the simulation network
for Southeast Europe (SEESIMNET). The SEEBRIG has already been deployed as part
of the ISAF in Afghanistan.
In 2002, a document was signed by the Black Sea littoral states Bulgaria, Georgia,
Romania, Russia and Turkey on Measures for Confidence Building and Maritime security
to establish cooperation of national naval forces as a separate initiative. The agreement
provides for annual confidence building exercises (CANEs) of the participating navies.
The Black Sea Initiative (BSI), established in 2004 by Bulgaria, Moldova, Romania,
Turkey and Ukraine, is focused on the safety of critical infrastructure, namely of ports
and terminals. It was subsequently decided that the BSI would benefit from closer
cooperation with other regional organisations such as the Black Sea Naval Cooperation
Task Group (BLACKSEAFOR) and the BSEC and their security concerns and tasks,
especially in the area of security management in ports and harbours.
The BLACKSEAFOR has been established as an initiative for cooperation and interoperability
between naval forces of the Black Sea littoral states. The political goals of the initiative
aim at contributing to better understanding, good neighbourly relations and mutual
confidence of the participating countries. The main tasks of the BLACKSEAFOR are defined
as search and rescue operations, humanitarian operations, mine-clearing, environmental
operations and others, as specified by the countries. It is formed by Black Sea states but
includes a provision for third countries sharing its goals to join. It focused on operations
on the Black Sea only, but if the members decide, it may operate outside of the Black Sea.
The reach of the BLACKSEAFOR has been enhanced since 2005 to make it more appropriate
to address new security threats – namely terrorism and weapons of mass destruction. 10
The Black Sea International Coordination and Information Centre in Burgas was established
in 2003. Its main aim is to facilitate the cooperation of the border and coast guard
agencies of the Black Sea countries. Thus, the Centre provides cooperation in controlling
of maritime traffic and monitoring the high risk zones, the exchange of information
regarding the use of operative forces and the means of monitoring territorial waters by
the border and coastguard agencies, providing guidelines to the forces (patrol boats
or aircrafts) participating in such operations.
10 More information is available at the BLACKSEAFOR web-site at http://www.blackseafor.org/.
42 UNFOLDING THE BLACK SEA ECONOMIC COOPERATION VIEWS FROM THE REGION