Crimea Before Occupation

From BSNews editorial staff: On February 20, 2013 the People's Deputy of Ukraine from one of the Crimean districts Olena Netetska headed the delegation of our country to the BSEC Parliamentary Assembly, and at the 41st General Assembly of the BSEC Parliamentary Assembly in Sophia on July 9 – 11, 2013 she was elected as the Deputy Chairman of the BSEC Parliamentary Assembly. BSNews has asked Ms. Netetska to share her thoughts and plans in the article for our edition.

Andrei KLIMENKO, BlackSeaNews We have decided to offer our readers the August 2013 cruise program. In this case, a lot of words are of no need – everything is quite clear at once:). As always, we will be glad if our well-informed readers submit any additional information and updates to this very schedule in their comments

Eugene KOGAN, The Center for International and European Studies (CIES), Istanbul. The two unresolved conflicts in the South Caucasus hang over Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia like the Sword of Damocles. As seen from every view point, Russia’s influence, levers and policy toward conflicts resolution remain the key issues. As long as Moscow maintains a status quo policy and keeps the outside actors at arm’s length from the region, the unresolved conflicts will continue to fester.

Andrei KLIMENKO, BlackSeaNews We have decided to offer our readers the May 2013 cruise program in 3 versions: chronology, cruise ship and ports of call wise. In this case, a lot of words are of no need – everything is quite clear at once:). As always, we will be glad if our well-informed readers submit any additional information and updates to this very schedule in their comments

Mitat CELIKPALA, Associate Professor at Kadir Has University, Istanbul. Energy competition in the Black Sea region, which was not in the spotlight in the post-2008 Russia- Georgia war period and was under the influence of the international financial crisis, has been showing signs of revival with the prospects of economic recovery and the signing of new agreements. For the last few years, Turkey has been trying to implement a comprehensive energy and foreign policy by considering alternative pipelines. This has not been an easy task for a transit country.

Alexey SOLOVIEV, BSNews. Egypt has once again reiterated the truth of the axiom: tourism is one of the most profitable, interesting, but one of the most vulnerable businesses. It does not matter by what sea you live - Black, Red or White one -it is clear that reports of the world press about instability lead to the almost immediate decline of tourist flow, which starts to search for the new tourist destinations or return to the old, well-known ones...

Elena GNEDINA, Nicu POPESCU, Center for International and European Studies (CIES) at Kadir Has University, Istanbul, specially for BSNews. In this period, the EU undoubtedly developed and intensified its relations with most of its eastern neighbors, but has hardly managed to 'change' them or significantly alter the course of their development...

Andrei Klimenko, BlackSeaNews. At least 2 cruise liners will visit the Black Sea ports in November 2012. Excluding Istanbul, they will call at least 4 ports: Yalta, Odessa, Constanta, Nessebar. The cruise season in the Black Sea will continue till November 25, of course, if weather does not interfere. If we aren't mistaken, that’s unprecedentedly long season...

Andrei KLIMENKO, BlackSeaNews. 2 years have made us convinced: nowadays the sea ferries are, perhaps, the only one link that ties together all the Black Sea countries. Despite all the nuances and relationship problems:). We have been preparing a series of publications on the Black Sea ferries for a long time. So, this one is just the very beginning. We have not found anywhere a single comprehensive schedule for the Black Sea ferries, thus, decided to start compiling it ourselves. And with our readers’ help...

Andrei KLIMENKO, BlackSeaNews. No less than 14 cruise ships will visit Black Sea ports in October 2012, compared to 5 in June, 11 in July, 7 in August, and 16 in September. They will visit at least 14 ports, besides Istanbul (in July they visited 12 ports, 11 in August, 13 in September and October).

1 mega-liner - QUEEN ELIZABETH – will visit the Black Sea for the first time.

Andrei KLIMENKO, BlackSeaNews At the very least, 16 cruise ships (instead of 5 in June, 11 in July, 7 in August) would call at the Black Sea ports in September 2012. Excluding Istanbul, they’ll visit, at least 13 ports. 2 mega-cruise ships ARCADIAand AZURA enter the Black Sea for the first time.6 vessel entries include overnight stay in a port - quite rare case in the Black Sea. 4 of them are the mega-vessels of about 300 meters in length, including famous QUEEN VICTORIA

Andrei KLIMENKO, BSNews, translation from Russian by Alexey Soloviev, BSNews. The year has started, the one of the 20^th year post-Soviet anniversaries of 1991-2011 and the Crimean anniversary of the referendum on re-establishment of the autonomy. 20 years, that’s really a lot of time. And through these notes your author wants to encourage the Crimean and non-Crimean intellectuals to think over the route...

Andrei KLIMENKO, BSNews, translation from Russian by Alexey Soloviev, BSNews. The year has started, the one of the 20^th year post-Soviet anniversaries of 1991-2011 and the Crimean anniversary of the referendum on re-establishment of the autonomy. 20 years, that’s really a lot of time. And through these notes your author wants to encourage the Crimean and non-Crimean intellectuals to think over the route...