Xenophon Paper 2 pdf - ICBSS

GREECE’S ENGAGEMENT WITH THE BLACK
SEA ECONOMIC COOPERATION
Panagiota Manoli
Traditionally, Greece has been a persistent advocate of multilateralism in its immediate
neighbourhood, seeing it as a means of maintaining political dialogue among countries
with - frequently - bilateral disputes as well as a means of supporting regional economic
development. It thus supported regional dialogue even during the Cold War period 1
while today it participates in all regional fora and initiatives in its neighbourhood (BSEC,
SECI, Adriatic Initiative, etc.).
Given the instability that surfaced in its northern borders in the early 1990s and following
the end of the Cold War, the Balkans was placed as the first priority in Greek foreign
policy. It was only after 1995 that the country became more active in its broader
neighbourhood particularly in the Black Sea area. Another turning point in the Greek
foreign policy towards the Black Sea region has been the year 2004 when Greece
undertook the periodic Chairmanship of the Organisation of the Black Sea Economic
Cooperation (BSEC) and embarked upon a process of bringing the BSEC and the
European Union (EU) closer. The enlargement of the EU eastwards with Bulgaria and
Romania motivated Greece as an EU member state to develop a more comprehensive
Black Sea policy and to upgrade its engagement with the region.
From reluctance to active engagement
Though Greece was one of the founding fathers of the BSEC in 1992 it did not show
great enthusiasm at the early stages of the initiative. Its position vis-à-vis the BSEC
changed from ‘reluctance’ to that of ‘active engagement’.
Greece viewed the initial efforts to establish the BSEC with suspicion. 2 Turkey’s active
interest in promoting the idea in 1990-91 was seen as a diversion from a more Europeoriented
Balkan cooperation scheme. Indeed, Meetings of Ministers of Foreign Affairs
of the Balkan countries regularly took place during these same years, Albania joined
1 For Regional Cooperation in the Balkans during the Cold War period see Walden, Sotiris (1994), Balkan
Cooperation and European Integration [μ·ÏηÓÈ΋ ˘ÓÂÚÁ·Û›· Î·È ∂˘Úˆapple·˚΋ OÏÔÎÏ‹ÚˆÛË], Papazisis, Athens.
2 Kazakos, Panos (1994), OÈÎÔÓÔÌÈ΋ ˘ÓÂÚÁ·Û›· ª·‡Ú˘ £¿Ï·ÛÛ·˜’, ∞Ó·appleÙ˘ÍȷΤ˜ ¢˘Ó·ÙfiÙËÙ˜ Î·È OÈÎÔ-
ÓÔÌÈ΋ ˘ÓÂÚÁ·Û›· ÛÙË ¡ÔÙÈÔ·Ó·ÙÔÏÈ΋ ∂˘ÚÒappleË (μ·ÏηÓÈ΋), [‘Black Sea Economic Cooperation’, Development
Potential and Economic Cooperation in Southeast Europe (Balkans)], vol. A, University of Athens, Athens,
December, pp. 168-202.
X E N O P H O N P A P E R no 2 67