On May 7, the Atlantic Council Turkey Programs and Global Energy Center, together with the US Naval Postgraduate School’s Energy Academic Group, organized the second conference on Black Sea Energy & Security, at the Army and Navy Club in Washington, DC. The conference gathered experts, business leaders, diplomats, policymakers, and representatives of Black Sea and greater region countries. The event featured four panels focusing on current challenge to freedom of the seas, regional perspectives on Black Sea energy and security, regional geopolitical developments, and operational energy globally and the Black Sea region.
At the second Black Sea Energy and Security Conference, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Diplomacy at the U.S. Department of State, Kimberly Harrington delivered keynote remarks.
The conference also featured a one-on-one interview on energy infrastructure developments in the Black Sea region with Tristan T.A. Lovering, Intelligence Advisor (Europe/Russia/Caspian), ExxonMobil Global Security, moderated by Prof. Brenda Shaffer, Faculty Associate, Energy Academic Group, US Naval Postgraduate School; & Nonresident Senior Fellow, Global Energy Center, Atlantic Council.
Panels
The current challenge to freedom of the seas: Economic and security implications
Moderator
Alan Howard, Associate Chair, Energy Academic Group, Naval Postgraduate School
Panelists
Neil Brown, Managing Director, KKR Global Institute and KKR Infrastructure & Nonresident Senior Fellow, Global Energy Center, Atlantic Council
Gavin Clough, Senior US Navy Fellow, Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, Atlantic Council
Ali Gara, Founder and CEO, MagicPort
Regional perspectives on Black Sea energy and security
Moderator
Olga Khakova, Deputy Director, European Energy Security, Global Energy Center, Atlantic Council
Panelists
Amb. Berris Ekinci, Director General for Energy and Environment, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Türkiye
Kimberly Harrington, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Diplomacy, U.S. Department of State
Amb. Khazar Ibrahim, Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the United States
Regional geopolitical developments
Moderator
Dr. Rich Outzen, Nonresident Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council IN TURKEY, Atlantic Council
Panelists
Dr. Svante Cornell, Director, Central Asia-Caucasus Institute & Silk Road Studies Program
Amb. Alper Coşkun, Senior Fellow, Europe Program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Dr. Michael Doran, Senior Fellow and Director, Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East, Hudson Institute
Operational energy globally and the Black Sea region
Discussion led by
Alan Howard, Associate Chair, Energy Academic Group, Naval Postgraduate School
Discussants
Dr. Arnold C. Dupuy, Nonresident Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council IN TURKEY; Faculty Associate, Energy Academic Group, Naval Postgraduate School
Dr. Daniel A. Nussbaum, Chair, Energy Academic Group, US Naval Postgraduate School
Larry Walzer, Faculty Associate – Research, Energy Academic Group, Naval Postgraduate School
Photos from the second Black Sea Energy & Security Conference
Previous Black Sea Energy and Security Conference
The Atlantic Council in Turkey, which is in charge of the Turkey program, aims to promote and strengthen transatlantic engagement with the region by providing a high-level forum and pursuing programming to address the most important issues on energy, economics, security, and defense.
The Global Energy Center develops and promotes pragmatic and nonpartisan policy solutions designed to advance global energy security, enhance economic opportunity, and accelerate pathways to net-zero emissions.