The Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) is an intergovernmental organization established to promote cooperation, peace, stability and prosperity in the Black Sea Region.

The Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) emerged as a regional initiative on June 25, 1992 for the development of cooperation in the Black Sea Region about which a corresponding declaration was signed in Istanbul (Turkey).

On June 5, 1998 the Charter of the organization was signed, according to this the goal of BSEC is closer economic cooperation between the Member States, the free movement of goods, capital, services and labour, and the integration of the economies of these countries into the world economic system.

The main decision-making body in BSEC is the Council of Foreign Ministers, which is convened twice a year (in June and December).

The headquarters of BSEC is located in Istanbul.

The BSEC Members States are Azerbaijan, Albania, Armenia, Bulgaria, Greece, North Macedonia, Georgia, Moldova, Russia, Romania, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine.

The observers in the organization are Austria, the Czech Republic, Egypt, Germany, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, Tunisia as well as the European Commission, the Energy Charter Secretariat, the Commission on the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution, the International Black Sea Club.

In accordance with the BSEC Charter, people-to-people contacts are one of the main areas of cooperation.

In 2012 the National Youth Council of Russia established the Black Sea Youth Forum which was held annually (the last time it was in 2016 as part of the shift "Young leaders of social NPOs and projects" of the All-Russian Youth Educational Forum "Territory of Meanings on the Klyazma") with the support of Rossotrudnichestvo , the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, Rosmolodyozh and the Alexander Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Fund. The purpose of the forum is to promote the development of international youth cooperation and youth policy in the Black Sea Region, the involvement of young people in the socio-economic development of the Black Sea Region.

In 2012 a permanent informal association of national youth councils of the Black Sea Region countries "Black Sea Youth Network" was also created. 

Sources: the website of the Ministry of Fire Affairs of the Russian Federation and the collection "30 years of state youth policy of the Russian Federation" (30 years of state youth policy of the Russian Federation / MIREA – Russian Technological University. - M., 2022. - 340 p.)