site.btaBulgaria Outstrips Romania with Black Sea Strategy, Expert Says

In an interview for the Adevarul newspaper on Friday, geopolitical analyst Alina Achim-Inayeh warned that uncertainties and tensions will continue even in the event of a total victory over Russia, particularly because Romania does not have its own strategy for the Black Sea. Achim-Inayeh specialises in security, defence and geo-economic issues in the Black Sea Region. According to her, this absence indicates not only the lack of substance in the country's foreign policy, but also the level of state intervention.

"Although Bulgaria is facing a real political crisis, it is ahead of Romania in many respects. And as far as the Black Sea strategy is concerned, the neighbours south of the Danube are in a much better position, if only because they have finalised their own strategy and know how to pursue their interests. Romania, on the other hand, is still waiting," Achim-Inayeh said.

She added that there is competition and rivalry between the two countries to attract investment and play the biggest possible role in the region.

“Romania and Bulgaria are also competing to become NATO, US and European Union’s Black Sea hub,” she added.

She said that there can be no Black Sea strategy without the Danube and the mouth of the river.

Geopolitical analyst Alina Achim-Inayeh is a global advisor to the president of the German Marshall Fund, a public policy think tank, and director of the Black Sea Trust, a GMF-funded organization that develops public policies to promote democracy, security, and prosperity in the Black Sea region.