As Turkish citizens ponder what the Justice and Development Party's easy win in Turkey's recent parliamentary elections means for their future, citizens of neighboring countries are watching developments in Ankara with great interest.

Representatives from 12 Black Sea states assembled in Istanbul, Turkey, today for the annual summit of the Organization of Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC), with increasing economic cooperation and trade at the top of the day's agenda.

A summit of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation is under way in Istanbul. Leaders of 12 countries in the wider Black Sea region are due to discuss projects aimed at boosting economic cooperation and trade.

The European Union said that it will strengthen its cooperation with Black Sea nations in the fields of energy and other. Europe is quite troubled with Moscow's influence over this energy-rich region.

The European Commission has unveiled plans for a new strategy to improve cooperation with the Black Sea region. The region has acquired greater importance to the EU following the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the bloc.