Why Black Sea Futures?

Russia’s war against Ukraine has transformed the regional security landscape. At the same time, energy transitions, EU enlargement, economic security, connectivity, democratic resilience, technology and climate pressures are changing the choices available to countries across and around the Black Sea.

These developments unfold at different speeds, but they intersect. A corridor decision can alter economic relationships; an energy shift can change political leverage; a security measure can create new forms of regional cooperation. Looking at them together helps reveal implications that a single-issue account may miss.

Black Sea Futures approaches the region as more than a coastline. It is a political, strategic, security, economic and connectivity space shaped by littoral states, the South Caucasus and decisions taken beyond the region. Armenia and Azerbaijan matter to this wider perspective through the corridors, institutions and relationships that connect them to Black Sea developments.

This wider lens does not erase differences among countries. It helps us examine how their trajectories interact and where common pressures, opportunities or vulnerabilities emerge.

The urgency of crisis management is unavoidable. Yet awareness of a changing situation does not, by itself, prepare institutions or societies for what may come next. Strategic foresight makes assumptions visible, considers alternative trajectories and asks what signs of change should be watched over time.

Black Sea Futures connects that practice to policy and regional expertise. It explores plural futures without claiming to predict one outcome or starting from predetermined political conclusions.

Black Sea Futures is an independent, founder-led project. It can host analysis, publications, workshops and collaborations in different configurations. It also convenes a Foresight Community of Practice as a major dedicated strand.

Work published by the founder, developed with collaborators or produced through the Community will be clearly identified. Participation in an activity does not imply endorsement of every Black Sea Futures publication or position.

Alina-Maria Necula is a specialist in EU foreign policy and UN multilateral affairs, with over a decade of professional experience at the Delegation of the European Union to the United Nations in New York. Her experience combines EU political and policy coordination, multilateral negotiations and coalition-building in complex international settings.

Since returning to Europe in 2024, she has deepened her focus on the EU’s Eastern Neighbourhood and the Black Sea region while expanding her work into strategic foresight. She works independently as an Adviser and Consultant, providing policy and strategic advisory, research and analysis, and strategic foresight. Black Sea Futures brings these interests together in a regional project.