Georgia’s National Interests in the Black Sea: Strategic Challenges and Emerging Opportunities

Abstract

The Black Sea has evolved from a peripheral maritime basin into one of the most consequential geopolitical arenas of the twenty-first century. It is no longer defined primarily by so-called “frozen conflicts,” but by active military confrontation, strategic coercion, energy insecurity, contested connectivity and the growing vulnerability of critical maritime infrastructure. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has transformed the maritime domain into an operationally contested space where commercial navigation, offshore infrastructure, energy transit and military risk increasingly overlap. This paper examines Georgia’s national maritime interests in the Black Sea by grouping them into three interrelated categories: core security and sovereignty interests; economic connectivity and infrastructure interests; and institutional/foreign-policy interests linked to Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic orientation. Using a qualitative analytical approach, the study draws on Georgian strategic documents, Euro-Atlantic policy frameworks, academic literature, policy reports and selected analytical and investigative sources. Realism is applied as a broad geopolitical and security lens to interpret power competition, Russian coercive behaviour, security dilemmas and Georgia’s search for external security partnerships. For Georgia, the Black Sea represents both strategic opportunity and structural vulnerability. Initiatives such as the Anaklia deep-sea port infrastructure project and the planned Black Sea submarine electricity cable strengthen Georgia’s role as a transit, logistics and energy bridge between Central Asia, the South Caucasus and Europe. Yet this connectivity cannot be separated from the region’s deteriorating security environment. Russia’s adaptive naval posture, including the possible use of Ochamchire port in occupied Abkhazia as a limited logistical or support node, demonstrates how even modest maritime infrastructure may carry significant political, legal and strategic implications. The study argues that Georgia’s maritime interests require a realistic policy response adapted to the resources and constraints of a small state. This includes the development of a national maritime security strategy, stronger interagency coordination, improved port governance and sanctions-compliance oversight, enhanced maritime domain awareness, strengthened Coast Guard capability, protection of critical maritime infrastructure and deeper practical cooperation with Allied and Black Sea partners. Ultimately, Georgia’s maritime future will depend on its ability to connect economic ambition with credible security resilience in an increasingly contested Black Sea environment.