Talking to each other

The conference “The growing importance of the Black Sea" took place from 6th to 9th of May 2026 in Chisinau, Moldova. It brought together experts from media, the military, politics, and the private sector from eight countries to examine pressing security challenges in the Black Sea region. Key topics included the evolving relationship between military and media, the rapid transformation of modern warfare, and the growing role of hybrid threats and drone technology.

Director of the Media Programme South East Europe of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Christoph Plate and Dr. Brigitta Triebel, the Resident Representative of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung in the Republic of Moldova opened the conference setting the tone by underlining the mutual dependency between media and the security sector - each relying on the other to fulfil its role effectively.

Reflecting on experiences and challenges, that Moldova faced in the last years, Plate stated: “Moldova can teach lessons of resilience to other European countries.” This sentiment was echoed by several participants throughout the conference.

The keynote was delivered by Anatolie Nosatii, Minister of Defence of the Republic of Moldova, who outlined Moldova's strategic role in safeguarding the Black Sea region. Despite lacking direct coastal access, Moldova occupies a critical position through its connection to the Danube, making it a key actor in regional security. He stressed the need for stronger regional and international cooperation on security, infrastructure, and energy.

Building on this, Dr.Dr. Martin Sieg offered a broader analysis of regional security dynamics around Moldova, with a particular focus on the unresolved conflict in Transnistria and Russian interference in Moldovan electoral processes.

A local perspective was provided by Oleksandra Predushchenko, Journalist for the Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspline from Mykolaiv who participated for the third time at the conference “The Growing Importance of the Black Sea”. She spoke of the everyday realities of journalism in the region and the profound transformation the profession has undergone since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The conference then turned to the technological dimension of modern warfare. Hristo Hristov, from Dronamics, a Bulgarian company producing drones for cargo, humanitarian and military use, provided an in-depth look at drone production infrastructure, while Paul Hurmuz, retired Major General from Romania elaborated on the operational role of drones in combat and defense, illustrating how rapidly this domain is reshaping the battlefield.  

One highlight of the program was a visit to the Independent Engineer Battalion “Cordu” of the Moldovan National Army approximately one hour away from Chisinau, where participants received a detailed briefing on the unit's structure, mandate, and recent operational achievements. En route, German Lieutenant Colonels Sebastian Erbe and Oliver Lotze outlined Germany's military support to the Republic of Moldova, encompassing training programs, expertise exchange, and financial assistance.

Subsequently, experiences from the Baltic states and Georgia of addressing the challenge of hybrid threats from representatives from NATO Stratcom Centre of Excellence and TV Formula in Georgia were contributed.

The discussion then turned to the relationship between Media and the Security Sector with journalists, researchers and security experts from FUNKE Media Group, Vaptsarov Naval Academy and the NATO Information and Documentation Centre taking up the thread of countering hybrid threats including misinformation campaigns, strengthen resilience and connecting different European security measurements into one working operational model.

The following discussions on hybrid threats underscored a shared sense of urgency. Whether addressing cognitive warfare, foreign interference in democratic processes, or the ongoing need to support Ukraine and similarly affected countries, participants agreed that resilience cannot be built in isolation. It requires sustained cooperation, shared intelligence, and a collective commitment to democratic values.