THE ECONOMIC-MILITARY IMPORTANCE OF THE BLACK SEA – NORTH SEA CORRIDOR FOR ENSURING STABILITY IN SOUTHEAST EUROPE

Abstract

Abstract: During history, the main channel of communication and cooperation between countries was through commerce and, consequently, through transport. Among all the transport ways, the maritime transport is the one that offers the best cost – benefits ratio. This article is addressed to all the people involved or interested in the economic and military fields and aims to highlight the importance of the Black Sea and North Sea connecting corridor in ensuring peace and stability in Europe in general and in South-Eastern Europe in special. To achieve this goal, we will review the historical conflicts among European countries for waterway control and make a descriptive analysis of the stability situation in the areas affected by them. Furthermore, using the hypothetical-deductive method, we will highlight the manner in which the connection of the Black Sea with the North Sea has influenced economic and military exchanges between riparian states and the impact on stability across European continent. At the end of the article, we will show how economic and military stability in south-eastern Europe is influenced and threatened by geopolitical changes in the wider Black Sea region and how this stability can be maintained and strengthened due to the great possibilities for economic cooperation among the countries of Western and South-Eastern Europe. The novelty of this approach is that it aims to analyze the importance of the Black Sea-North Sea channel in the context of fundamental changes in the politico-military situation in South-East Europe, generated by the expansion of the Russian Federation and the conflict between Turkey and Greece, NATO member countries.