Ankara leads talks on Black Sea gas, economic cooperation

ISTANBUL

Türkiye is engaging with regional partners in ongoing negotiations over the use and development of natural gas resources in the Black Sea, amid rising geopolitical and economic interest in the Middle Corridor transport route, the head of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) group has said.

The remarks came during the eighth International Blue Black Sea Congress, hosted by Marmara University in Istanbul on May 8–9.

Speaking to state-run Anadolu Agency, Lazar Comanescu, secretary-general of the Istanbul-based BSEC, said that Türkiye has remained a key driver in the organization’s initiatives over the past three decades, including energy infrastructure, road projects and regional cooperation.

He said the region’s relevance has only grown despite ongoing instability, particularly due to the war in Ukraine.

He emphasized that the Black Sea is a strategic economic hub linking Europe, Asia and the Middle East and that interdependence among the region’s countries will grow in importance.

Comanescu said the Asia-Pacific region has become the “engine” of the global economy and that new initiatives are underway to strengthen Europe–Asia connectivity through green and clean energy routes passing through Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania and Hungary.

“Without the Black Sea, the Middle Corridor cannot work,” he said. “Türkiye plays an active role here.”

He said the BSEC region, comprising 13 countries with a combined population of around 350 million, represents a major economic zone with untapped potential.

“The better the cooperation in the region, the greater the benefits for member states,” he said.