Xenophon Paper 2 pdf - ICBSS

to start, but now all are taking off the ground. Furthermore, Bulgaria has reiterated its
interest in the east-west No 8 Trans-European transport corridor from Burgas to Albania
and further to Italy – a section of the broader TRACECA corridor from China and Central
Asia to Europe.
The second and third factors bearing an impact on the region’s growing significance
for Bulgaria are in the form of commitments, responsibilities and opportunities that
Bulgaria has institutionally engaged within the EU and NATO respectively. For that
matter, it is clear that there is no ‘EU+NATO membership package’ and the countries
in the region will pursue separate tracks just as the policies of NATO and the EU will be
country specific. In that case, Bulgaria has a role to play in making sure there are no
clashing agendas between NATO and the EU. Bulgaria will work further towards adapting
and coordinating their policies.
When dealing with the Black Sea region, Bulgaria should also face the Russian factor.
Bulgaria has to learn how to accommodate its intensive energy cooperation with Russia
with the moral responsibility to help reforms in Georgia – and face the complications thereof.
The development of cooperation in the Black Sea context will also depend on the broader
context of a web of relations, which albeit external for the region, will have serious repercussions
here. These are the bilateral relations of EU-Russia, NATO-Russia, EU-Turkey and Russia-
Turkey as well as the relations of all these with the current superpower - the United States
- which already has political, economic and military presence in the area.
For Bulgaria, the biggest novelties will ensue from its EU membership status. Bulgaria
will be an active participant in the ENP process and should cooperate with its fellow
members of Greece and Romania to tap the EU’s political determination which is laid
out in the Black Sea Synergy document.
Another potential direction for the BSEC that Bulgaria might offer – a subject of future
debate and work - may be towards developing further inter-regional cooperation between
east and west – with the Caspian and Central Asian region to the east and the Danube
River region to the west.
52 UNFOLDING THE BLACK SEA ECONOMIC COOPERATION VIEWS FROM THE REGION