Black Sea Program

Throughout history, the Greater Middle East has served as a strategic springboard to Europe and Central Asia. Today, the Black Sea region, in particular, finds itself at the heart of Iranian, Russian, and Chinese attempts to shape a new order in this part of the world, comprising cultural, political, commercial, and strategic elements. In the context of today's strategic competition, MEI's Black Sea Program explores interactions among countries in the extended Black Sea area—Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Turkey, and Ukraine—with the Middle East, Russia, and China. This MEI program examines security, political, economic, and energy relationships, as well as trends that are likely to grow in strategic importance.

Iulia-Sabina Joja

About the Director

Iulia-Sabina Joja

Iulia-Sabina Joja, Ph.D., is a senior fellow and director of MEI's Black Sea Program. She teaches European security as an adjunct professor at Georgetown University and George Washington University. Her research and teachings focus primarily on European and Black Sea security.

Black Sea Program Experts

Black Sea State Department Title VIII Fellows

Elena Cirmizi

Lindsey Grutchfield

Yekaterina Klepanchuck

Eoin Power

Black Sea Program Fellowship Alumni

Dimitar Bechev

Andrei Covatariu

Olga R. Chiriac

Allison Hart

Andrei Iovu

Nona Mamulashvili

Ekaterine Meiering-Mikadze

Giana Pirolli

Ayaz Rzayev

Natia Seskuria

Michael van Ginkel

Maryna Venneri

Rusudan Zabakhidze

Paskal Zhelev

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Upcoming Events

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Past Events