Mamuka Tsereteli
There are numerous opportunities to further integrate Europe with Central Asia and the Caucasus by upgrading shipping infrastructure around this body of water.
The strategic significance of the Black Sea in the context of ongoing Russian military aggression against Ukraine is hard to overestimate. This has long been apparent to the Russians and has shaped their behavior in occupying Crimea since 2014. The Crimean peninsula was the first target for annexation by Russia in 2014, creating a staging area for military and security impact on the Black Sea and Eastern Mediterranean. Unfortunately, it took a full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine for the United States and the West in general to fully comprehend the strategic importance of the Black Sea.
Trade is one of the key factors which forms its strategic value. The sea is a crucial link between commodity producers and global markets. The Black Sea ports of the Russian Federation are major outlets for Russia’s commodities exports. However, the Black Sea also holds vital economic significance for Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, and Georgia, as well as all landlocked countries connected to European, African, and global markets. It is a vital lifeline for goods like grain, coal, oil, liquefied petroleum gas, and fertilizers.
Ukraine demonstrated incredible resilience on battlefields across all frontlines, including in the Black Sea, where it destroyed a significant portion of Russian navy assets, forcing the rest of Russia’s fleet to hide in ports east of Crimea. Military efficiency allowed Ukraine to provide safe passage for commercial vessels exporting different commodities, not just grain, under the temporary deal with Russia. This helped Ukraine to reach pre-war levels of seaborne exports in 2024.
Overall trade in the Black Sea increased significantly in 2024, driven by the growth of container shipments to Romanian, Bulgarian, and Ukrainian ports, including Constanța in Romania, Varna in Bulgaria, and ports in Odesa, Chornomorsk, and Pyvdenny in Ukraine. The container volume also increased in Russia’s port of Novorossiysk and the Georgian ports of Poti and Batumi. The later ports are primarily servicing the South Caucasus and Greater Central Asia region. The growth is expected to continue, with further restoration and expansion of direct container connection to Ukrainian ports.
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