Romanian-Azerbaijani Cyber Diplomacy: Emerging Cooperation in the Black Sea Extended Region
Romanian-Azerbaijani Cyber Diplomacy: Emerging Cooperation in the Black Sea Extended Region

Summary/Abstract: The extended Black Sea Region is considered one of the most volatile geopolitical areas in the world, where conventional conflicts, frozen disputes, and hybrid threats intersect with cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns. In this complex landscape, cyber diplomacy has become a vital component of foreign and security policy. This paper explores the evolving collaboration between Romania and Azerbaijan, two countries with different geopolitical ties but shared interests in protecting critical infrastructure, enhancing cyber resilience, and countering hybrid threats. A particular emphasis is placed on the Cyber Diplomacy Twinning Center, established through a partnership among ICI Bucharest, ADA University, and Azerbaijan’s State Service for Special Communications and Information Security. This center serves as an innovative initiative that merges academic, governmental, and technical expertise. The findings show that both countries have improved trans parency, built institutional capacity, and aligned with international standards, despite differing methods in incident reporting. The analysis indicates that bilateral cyber diplomacy initiatives, when executed efficiently and with minimal bureaucracy, can act as policy laboratories for enhancing regional resilience and governance.

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