Black Sea Trust for Regional Cooperation

Irina Neagu is a senior program coordinator for the Black Sea Trust (BST), administering its Empowering Youth through Capacity Building, Collaboration, and Peace Initiatives project. She also plays a key role in BST’s Enhancing the Resilience of Civil Society in the Eastern Partnership project. 

Neagu has expertise in youth engagement and cross-border issues in the Black Sea region, with a focus on the South Caucasus. She heads a Romanian NGO that supports civic activities and youth education.

Neagu holds a master’s degree in comparative politics and a bachelor’s degree in international relations and European studies from the University of Bucharest. 

Laurențiu Pleșca is a scientific researcher and PhD candidate of the Doctoral School of Political Sciences at the University of Bucharest. His main areas of expertise are Russia's geopolitics in the Black Sea, the Eastern Partnership, EU common policies (foreign and security policy, and the Eastern Neighborhood), and the internal and external policies of the ex-Soviet states. 

Pleșca has a master's degree in international relations and European studies, and a bachelor's degree in political science, from the University of Bucharest.

Marina Tiulescu is GMF’s Bucharest office manager. She has more than 15 years of experience in administrative, financial, and operational roles in the media, diplomatic, and oil and gas sectors.

Tiulescu previously served as assistant to the ambassador at the Peruvian and Croatian embassies in Bucharest. She also worked as an administrative and economic officer at Constantin Entertainment, operations manager at Petrol Solutions, and visa and compliance officer at SLB, a global technology company driving energy innovation. 

Marina holds degrees in foreign languages, international relations, and diplomacy. 

   Clara Volintiru is the Black Sea Regional Director based in Bucharest.