The Mayor of Cluj-Napoca, Emil Boc, said, on Wednesday, at the European Committee of the Regions on the topic of the European Union Strategy regarding the Black Sea, that the future of Europe depends on the future of the Black Sea and that security in the Black Sea is vital for European security.
"The Black Sea is not and must not become a 'Russian lake'. Security on the Black Sea is vital for European security. The Black Sea has been destabilized by Russia's aggression against Ukraine. The Black Sea is strategically important because it brings together 3 distinct security regions. In the north we have Russia, in the south Turkey and the entire Mediterranean area, in the west Europe and the Balkans. During the Cold War, it was even called a 'Russian lake'.
That time must never return. The Black Sea is not and must not become a Russian lake. It is a European border. And it must become a sea of peace, freedom and opportunities", Emil Boc said in his speech in Brussels.
According to him, on the other hand, there can be no Black Sea strategy without the Danube, and no Danube strategy without the Black Sea, and the EU must invest in ports, airports and highways, so that troops can move quickly if necessary.
"From Russia's war in Georgia in 2008 to the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the subsequent full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Black Sea region has been key to Putin's efforts to restore Russia's power and influence after the fall of the Soviet Union.
There can be no Black Sea strategy without the Danube. And there can be no Danube strategy without the Black Sea. This is a single ecosystem. A single corridor. A single line of defense. The European Union must invest massively in ports, highways, railways and airports. So that our civilian and military infrastructure is ready. So that troops and equipment can move quickly. Because Europe must be prepared to defend every inch of its territory. And we must work closely with our partners ours - Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan. They are not just neighbors.
They are partners. Partners in security, partners in freedom, partners in the future of Europe. The Black Sea must be a sea of hope, not of fear. A sea of stability, not of aggression. A sea that unites us, not that which divides us. Because the future of Europe depends on the future of the Black Sea", Emil Boc also pointed out in his intervention.
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