NATO Romania

THE CHALLENGES OF THE EAST

Unfortunately, with great opportunities also came great challenges. Although the terrorist phenomenon is the main concern at European and Euro-Atlantic level, and although the issue was already mentioned, we have to insist on the remnants from a by-gone era that still constitutes security concerns: the frozen conflicts. These conflicts represent significant strategic threats not only to the states in the region but also to the Euro-Atlantic community in general. Break-away areas as those in Republic of Moldova or Georgia are breeding grounds for criminal activities which further weaken the internal democratic reform efforts of these states.

Frozen conflicts are not the only threat here. They have to be viewed in an integrated manner, alongside other factors such as immature state structures, authoritarian regimes, corruption and organized crime, presence of foreign illegal troops on the soil of independent states. All these factors make it, if not impossible, at least highly unlikely, for the states in the region to pursue their democratic goals and to join the European and Euro-Atlantic community.

Democracy consolidation of each state from the region brings value added to the region’s security as a whole. This is why political, economic and financial support for the emerging democracies in the region has to be perceived as a constituent part of a broader strategy encompassing the efforts of the littoral states and the Euro-Atlantic community. States like Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey have a moral and political responsibility to return the assistance received from the democratic community in the period before NATO integration, helping the efforts made by the newly democracies. On her turn, Romania has the duty to do the same for our eastern neighboring countries as regards the support for consolidating democracy, the rule of law and their democratic reforms.

Efforts at bilateral level are just a part of the strategy. At regional level cooperation is, and will remain, one of the important pillars of the security system in the Black Sea area. However, we must take into account the existing regional initiatives and make the best of them whether they are multilateral such as Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC), BLACKSEAFOR, Black Sea Bank, and Black Sea University, trilateral like the periodic talks held between Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey, bilateral or national like Black Sea Harmony. Romania is, also, firmly committed to promote the Black Sea Forum for Dialogue and Cooperation - an initiative chiefly aimed at championing demo¬cracy and economic development, energy and environment security, confidence building, conso¬lidating stability, peace and security.

The need for an increased involvement of the NATO, EU and of the strategic partners in this area’s security is not just a political statement, but it is a true need because even if there is a regional cooperation framework, there is a missing link and that is the lack of a comprehensive approach to the rapid change of the security environment. This is why a Euro-Atlantic strategy for the Black Sea region aimed both at making efficient use of the opportunities created and also addressing the security threats is more then necessary; it is a guarantee for the national security of all the region’s countries and for a true contribution at the global security.

Terrorist groups stroked at the heart of the democratic world and, while some of our countries have been targeted by the international terrorism, the others are threatened too, as all of us have contributed one way or another to the global fight against terrorism. From this perspective, there is perhaps at least a lesson to be learned from our enemies: just the way terrorist organizations have created a huge network of cells acting beyond national borders and redefining the term of transnational, the countries in the region - alongside their allies and partners - should try to develop a democratic network of initiatives aimed at countering terrorism, working both at security (operational) level and at the political, social, economic and cultural level.

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Gen (ret) Constantin Degeratu is a Senior Security and Defense Advisor, and a Professor of Security Studies at the “Dimitrie Cantemir” Christian University in Bucharest, Romania. He is also a former Chief of General Defense Staff of the Romanian Armed Forces (1997-2000) and a former Professor of Security Studies at the “George C. Marshall” – European Center for Security Studies, (a US-German Partnership), Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany (2001-2004). The opinions expressed in this paper do not necessarily reflect the views of a governmental agency or of the University.