Black Sea Ports Amid the Russia-Ukraine War

Project Client

Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS);

Country

Georgia;

Ukraine;

Turkey;

Romania;

Bulgaria;

Origin Of Funding

Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS);

Start Date

01.09.2022

End Date

31.12.2022

Region

Caucasus;

Eastern Europe and Balkans;

We recently started a project which will entail the conducting of a study to assess the state and needs of Black Sea ports amid the Russia-Ukraine war, which has significantly shaken the critical infrastructure landscape in the region.

The Russian blockade of Ukrainian ports and the western sanctions on Russia have had a tremendously negative impact on trade not only in the Black Sea but worldwide. With the export of Ukrainian grain obstructed, worldwide food security has also come under threat, with the consequent soaring prices of wheat endangering lives and livelihoods everywhere. Furthermore, the war will have long-lasting implications for the status of the Black Sea region countries as reliable trade partners, as the threat from Russia will become a key factor influencing the decision-making process in global trade relations.

In order to achieve the project’s goal, we are carrying out the following activities:

  • Mapping the port infrastructure in the Black Sea region (Bulgaria, Georgia, Ukraine, Romania, Russia, and Turkey) prior to the war;
  • Studying the political implications and assessment of other impacts of the war on the port infrastructure in the Black Sea region;
  • Researching challenges and bottlenecks of the Black Sea ports prior to and during the war; and
  • Developing recommendations to address the relevant challenges.

The project will end with a presentation of the study in a hybrid format, with key stakeholders from all six Black Sea countries engaged in the dialogue, addressing pertinent challenges and implementing key recommendations of the study.