BLACK SEA SECURITY CONFERENCE

About the event

The Black Sea Security Conference is a two-day forum discussing the political and security environment in the Black Sea region. It seeks to bring more attention to the region’s geostrategic importance within the broader context of European security. As such, it provides a platform to discuss the role and interests of key regional and international actors, while emphasising the Black Sea’s role as a vital energy corridor and transit hub connecting Europe with the South Caucasus, Central Asia and beyond.

Program

09:30 Registration & Coffee
10:30 Welcome & Keynote
Weclome remarks: H.E. Irene Maria Plank German Ambassador to Bulgaria tbc.
Keynote: Alva Finn Executive Director, European Liberal Forum (ELF)
11:00 Panel 1 – Trade & Connectivity
Speaker: Agha Bayramov Assistant Professor, University of Groningen
Speaker: Areg Kochinyan President, Research Centre on Security Policy (RCSP)
Speaker: Mihai Sebe Head of European Studies Department, European Institute of Romania
Speaker: Ricardo Silvestre Senior Political Researcher and International Officer, Movimento Liberal
Social
Speaker: Dr Teona Giuashvili Research Fellow, London School of Economics and Political Sciences
(LSE)
Moderated by: Maria Simeonova Head of Sofia Office, European Council on Foreign Relations
(ECFR)
12:30 Lunch
13:30 Panel 1 – Migration
Speaker: Cristian David Chairman, Institute for Migration Policies of Romania
Speaker: Irina Bondarevska Founder and Head, Centre for Personal and Social Transformations
(CPST)
Speaker: Mireia Faro Sarrats Communicaiton Officer, European Council on Foreign Relations
Speaker: Prof Dr Murat Erdogăn Director Mülkiye Migration Research Centre, Ankara University
Moderated by: Fjona Merkaj Project Officer, European Liberal Forum (ELF)
15:00 Coffee Break
15:30 Fireside Chat– EU Enlargement
Speaker: H.E. Delphine Pronk Deputy Political Director, European External Action Service (EEAS) tbc.
Speaker: Alva Finn Executive Director, European Liberal Forum (ELF)
Moderated by: Amb. Gigi Gigiadze Senior Fellow, Economic Policy Research Centre (EPRC)
16:30 Day 1 Closing Remarks
18:00 Dinner
Venue: TBA
BLACK SEA SECURITY CONFERENCE
Day 2
16 November 2025, 09:30 – 16:30 (EET)
Programme
09:30 Registration & Coffee
10:30 Welcome & Keynote
Welcome remarks: Martin Kothé Regional Director East and Southeast Europe, Friedrich Naumann
Foundation for Freedom (FNF)
Keynote: Oleksandra Matviichuk Head, Center for Civil Liberties (CCL) tbc.
11:00 Panel 1 – Security & Defence
Speaker: Amb. Batu Kutelia Senior Fellow, Foreign Policy Research Institute
Speaker: H.E. Delphine Pronk Deputy Political Director, European External Action Service (EEAS) tbc.
Speaker: Hanna Hopko Head, National Interest Advocacy Network (ANTS) tbc.
Speaker: Markus Iven Strategic Analyst, The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies .
Moderated by: Johanna Hans Head of Unit Europe, Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom
(FNF)
12:30 Lunch
13:30 Panel 2 – NATO & Europe’s Strategic Autonomy
Speaker: Dr Hürcan Aslı Aksoy Head of Centre for Applied Turkey Studies (CATS), German Institute
for International and Security Affairs (SWP)
Speaker: Dr Khrystyna Holynska Policy Researcher, RAND
Speaker: Lorin Stan Consultant, Berlin Global Advisors
Speaker: Yordan Bozhilov Founder and President, Sofia Security Forum
Moderated by: Nata Koridze Former Head of NATO Integration Department, State Minister’s
Office for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration
15:00 Coffee Break
15:30 Fireside Chat– Democracy & After Putin Era
Speaker: Henrik Bach Mortensen Vice-President, Liberal International (LI)
Speaker: Oleksandra Matviichuk Head, Center for Civil Liberties (CCL) tbc.
Moderated by: Zaza Bibilashvili Founder, Ilia Chavchavadze Center for European Studies and Civic
Education
16:30 Day 2 Closing Remarks
Speaker: Martin Kothé Regional Director East and Southeast Europe, Friedrich Naumann
Foundation for Freedom (FNF)
18:00 Dinner
Venue: TBA