Problems of the Straits – will there be a further aggravation of the situation?

On April 20, 2021, within the framework of the permanent online project "It's worth talking about", a regular online meeting was held with Andrey Glebovich Baklanov, Head of the Middle East and North Africa Studies Sector of the Department of Foreign Regional Studies of the Faculty of World Economy and World Politics of the Higher School of Economics, Deputy Chairman of the Association of Russian Diplomats, Ambassador. The topic of the meeting was: "Problems of the Straits– will there be a further aggravation of the situation?"

The meeting was moderated by Vera V. Vishnyakova, Head of the Department of Foreign Regional Studies at the Faculty of World Economy and World Politics at the Higher School of Economics. 

A. G. Baklanov noted in his speech that the aggravation of the Straits problem reflects an important global process – the beginning of the "battle"  for the possibility of using the seas and oceans for economic purposes, which is likely to characterize the development of the situation in the world in the first half of the 21st century. 

A. G. Baklanov covered in detail the question of the  interpretation by Turkey and other countries of the provisions of the Montreux Convention in the event of the construction of a new channel – "Istanbul", shared his assessments of the expansion of the presence of US and NATO warships in the Black Sea and the possible reaction of Moscow to these actions. He answered the questions of the participants of the meeting. 

The link to the video: https://youtu.be/pFtXxGEwWAA