International think tank hosts security conference
Güncelleme Tarihi:
by Gül Demir
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Haziran 30, 2009 00:00
ISTANBUL - The Black Sea will be the subject of a four-day symposium today that begins in, of all places, the Aegean.
"The State of Play and the Way Forward," is the title of gathering on the Greek island of Kalymnos sponsored by the International Centre for Black Sea Studies, or ICBSS.
"I think there’s a real need for the people in the region to communicate with each other," said Dimitrios Triantaphyllou, ICBSS director-general. "We know that many people in the region are not necessarily in the best of relations with each other."
Events in the Black Sea region over the past year, including the Russia-Georgia war and worldwide recession, have impacted relations for the worse, Triantaphyllou told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review. New momentum must be found for regional projects and their financing, he said.
Approximately 40 young professionals of various backgrounds have been chosen to participate in the meeting this week, all from the wider Black Sea region. They will form the nucleus of a network that will expand every year. In addition to this group, 20 internationally renowned experts will also join the four days of workshops and panel discussions.
Among speakers will be senior US diplomat Matthew Bryza, Spyros Economides of the Hellenic Observatory, London School of Economics and Political Science; Mustafa Aydın from the TOBB University of Economics and Technology and the Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey; and Nicu Popescu from the European Council on Foreign Relations.
Triantaphyllou said the most difficult country in the region to involve in regional collaboration has been Russia but even in this case improved communication is deepening regional ties.
"I think there’s a real need for the people in the region to communicate with each other," said Dimitrios Triantaphyllou, ICBSS director-general. "We know that many people in the region are not necessarily in the best of relations with each other."
Events in the Black Sea region over the past year, including the Russia-Georgia war and worldwide recession, have impacted relations for the worse, Triantaphyllou told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review. New momentum must be found for regional projects and their financing, he said.
Approximately 40 young professionals of various backgrounds have been chosen to participate in the meeting this week, all from the wider Black Sea region. They will form the nucleus of a network that will expand every year. In addition to this group, 20 internationally renowned experts will also join the four days of workshops and panel discussions.
Among speakers will be senior US diplomat Matthew Bryza, Spyros Economides of the Hellenic Observatory, London School of Economics and Political Science; Mustafa Aydın from the TOBB University of Economics and Technology and the Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey; and Nicu Popescu from the European Council on Foreign Relations.
Triantaphyllou said the most difficult country in the region to involve in regional collaboration has been Russia but even in this case improved communication is deepening regional ties.