1.1 Background

Regional Stability in the Greater Black Sea Area Working Group (RSGBSA WG) was launched on February 1, 2006, in Bucharest, as a constituent part of the PfP Consortium.The concept for a new Working Group was decided during the meeting of Senior Advisory Council (SAC) of PfP Consortium, held in Geneva on September 1-3, 2004.

1.2 Vision Statement

(1) Promote cooperation and a shared regional security culture in the Black Sea area through professional forums and activities that will be inclusive and demand driven;

(2) Give support to the improvement of networks in the field of security policy and help to create a peaceful, strategic and stable community in the Greater Black Sea Area;

(3) Assess the situation in the Greater Black Sea Area through enhanced international research and scientific cooperation;

(4) Promote a better understanding of issues and developments within the area among the research and policy making communities.

2008-2011

The MCT was the main project developed within the RSGBSA WG between 2008-2011, being designed to:
(1) Enhance the regional security cooperative culture among Black Sea countries;
(2) Support defense reforms in interested countries according to the individual needs as identified through IPAP/ANP programs;
(3) Sustain and assist the partner nations in their efforts to implement their NATO IPAPs/ANP programs.

5.1 MCT Project

Cluster areas

Modular seminars in four cluster-areas of expertise were developed by specific leading institutions: Crisis Management and Conflict Prevention (National Defense University “Carol I”, Romania); Defense Institutions Building (Rakovski Defense and Staff College, Bulgaria); Human Resources Management (George C. Marshall Center, Garmisch, Germany); and Transnational Security Challenges (Kadir Has University, Turkey).

The seminars have been conducted in both multinational and national formats (targeting a single IPAP country) and based upon demand-driven academic curricula focused on interactive activities.

5.2 MCT Seminars

MCT Seminar in multinational format

• Crisis Management and Conflict Prevention, Brasov, Romania May 12-17, 2008
• Defense Institution Building, Sofia, Bulgaria, May 11-17 2009
• Human Resources Management, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova, September 13-17 2010

MCT seminar with national audience

• Effective Practices in Civil Emergencies Planning and Consequences Management, Baku, Azerbaijan September 23-25, 2009
• The Building Blocks and the Effective Functioning of a National Crisis Management System, Kiev, Ukraine, May 24-28, 2010

5.3 MCT Project

Visibility and Valuable contributions

MCT Project has been a successful practical effort to assist Partner Nations in implementing their IPAP objectives and PARP Partnership Goals.

MCT Project responded to Partners’ reform needs and complemented the existing regional efforts to enhance stability in GBSA.

The network of specialists and experts created within the MCT Project are committed to provide relevant analysis and expertise to policy makers and specialized institutions from throughout the Region.

• To shift the focus from practical and academic training to strategic research
• To concentrate more on research activities and develop the capacity for security studies institutes (a form of defense institutions building)
• To focus on regional policy recommendations targeting partner policy makes primarily
• To maintain demand driven and inclusive approach through cooperation with other regional initiatives and avoid duplication

6.1 Statement of Purpose

The RSGBSA WG will build on the success achieved in its first four years of activity through the MCT Project.

The new strategic research oriented approach will be implemented through organizing international/regional conferences addressing relevant topics for the Black Sea region.

The outcome of the conferences will be shaped in a policy paper/policy recommendation that will be circulated within the professional community.

6.2. Areas of Research

Four areas of research have been identified as a basis for further discussions:

1) Mutual Security in the Greater Black Sea Area
2) Old and New Security Challenges
3) Democratization and Good Governance
4) Economic Development and Energy Security

The list of key area for research will remain open to inclusion of other topics that might be subsequently agreed by the Working Group.

10-11 March, Bucharest (Romania), The planning reunion of the RSGBSA WG

Outcomes:

• agreed on the implementation of the Working Group’s new strategic approach and the Concept Paper for the Research Plan
• approved the calendar of activities 2011-2013

17-18 March, Istanbul (Turkey), the preparatory meeting of the 4^th MCT seminar

The 4th MCT multinational seminar on “Understanding and Fighting Organized Crime”. Leading institution: Kadir Has University, Istanbul (Turkey)

The first research-oriented conference and the annual reunion of the RSGBSA WG, Tbilisi (Georgia), 31 January – 2 February 2012

Joint workshop with the RSSEE SG, Vienna (Austria), Spring 2012

International conference, Yerevan (Armenia), Fall 2012