The course focuses on the political, economic and international relations in the wider Black Sea region, including the Caucasus, and on the structures and processes that influence the behavior of states and other actors in the region. Specifically, the course focuses on interstate economic relations, regional security issues including the protracted conflicts, and modern forms of regional cooperation. In addition, it studies the EU's policy in the Eastern European neighborhood as well as the regional policies of other important actors in the region (Russia, Turkey, Greece).