Integration Potential of Marine Economic Activity in the Modern Black Sea Region: Factors of Formation, Features and Priorities of Implementation

The "turn" of Russia and its economy towards the Sea, characteristic of the last two decades, is largely associated with the processes of cross-border integration and regionalization (economic as well as geopolitical) in the sea basins "encircling" the country, including the Azov-Black Sea. The article attempts to assess the integration potential of marine economic activity in the modern Black Sea region, to highlight the factors and features of interaction of states (and their regions) localized on the coasts of the Black and Azov Seas in the "maritime" sphere. The idea of the Black Sea region as an emerging, asymmetric, fragmented aqua-territorial system is substantiated. The key elements of its supporting framework (the most important seaports and interport logistics lines) have been identified. The role of the Crimea (its marine economy) in trans-equatorial integration processes in the economic sphere is shown. It is emphasized that the architecture of transpontine integration processes in the marine sector directly depends on the interaction between Russia and Turkey, as well as on the latter's building relations with other states in the region.