On March 23, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Andrii Sybiha, participated online in the opening of the Third Black Sea Security Conference held in Chișinău. The Black Sea Security Conference is the second flagship event of the International Crimea Platform following the annual summit. Previous conferences took place in Bucharest (2023) and Sofia (2024). 

In his address, the Minister emphasized the importance of holding the event in Moldova, as this country, like other neighboring states, has suffered from restrictions on the freedom of navigation, disruption of supply chains, and a lack of security in the Black Sea as a result of Russian aggression. 

Andrii Sybiha stressed that security is a prerequisite for economic prosperity. He noted that despite the war in the Middle East, the attention of allies remains focused on Ukraine and the Black Sea, as it is here that the fate of security for Europe and the wider world is decided. "

The EU Black Sea Strategy adopted last year is an important step forward. It is correct that its first fundamental component is security. Ukraine, as a future EU member and contributor to European security, will play a vital role in the implementation of this strategy," the Minister emphasized. 

In his speech, Andrii Sybiha elaborated on three key points: 

First, the Black Sea must once again become a sea of peace and security. Freedom of navigation must be restored—and this is of great significance for global food security. It is now necessary to increase pressure on Russia, which in the last month alone carried out more attacks on Odesa's port infrastructure than in the entire previous year. "We must work together to force the Kremlin to stop the aggression, agree to a ceasefire, and move toward genuine diplomacy," the Minister stressed. Other crucial steps include demining and active sanctions measures against the "Russian grain shadow fleet." Last year alone, Russia illegally exported 2 million tons of stolen Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea for sale to other countries. 

Second, future security guarantees for Ukraine must include a maritime security component. "Lasting peace in the region requires not only the presence of our allies' military on land but also our allies' warships in our waters," the Minister underlined. He noted the readiness of several countries, including Bulgaria, Moldova, Romania, and Türkiye, to play a larger role in Black Sea security. He also called for remembering the European choice of the Georgian people. 

Third, the liberation of Crimea from Russian occupation is the only path to long-term security in the Black Sea region. "There can be no stable trade in a sea at the very heart of which sits a militarized peninsula under the control of an aggressive state. What began in Crimea must end in Crimea. Crimea is Ukraine," the Minister concluded. 

Andrii Sybiha also urged partners to view the Black Sea in a broader geopolitical context, to develop the Three Seas Initiative ("Adriatic – Baltic – Black Sea"), and to consider the potential of the Black Sea as a route for non-Russian energy resources to Europe. 

"Today, what happens in the Baltic Sea resonates in the Black Sea, because our security is indivisible. This is how we should perceive our security space—as a single axis from the Baltic to the Black Sea. This is all about our common benefits and prosperity. But it all starts with security," concluded Andrii Sybiha. 

Welcoming remarks to the conference participants in Chișinău were delivered by the Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Moldova, Mihai Popșoi, the Minister of Defense of Moldova, Anatolie Nosatîi, and the Secretary General of the BSEC Permanent International Secretariat, Lazar Comănescu. Video messages were sent by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, and the EU Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos. 

Throughout the day, representatives of parliaments, foreign and defense ministries of the region, international organizations, the defense industry, and the expert community are participating in various panel discussions. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine is represented in Chișinău by Deputy Minister Oleksandr Mishchenko. 

The Third Black Sea Security Conference was co-organized by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defense of Ukraine and Moldova with the support of the European Commission. The MFA of Ukraine expresses its gratitude to partners and allies for their successful cooperation