The strategic importance of the Black Sea will increase because it is a vital energy transit corridor for oil and gas from Russia and Central Asia to Europe. Energy security will drive both economic cooperation and strategic confrontation in the region. In response, this paper calls for the establishment of a new security architecture to maximize cooperation and minimize confrontation between Black Sea states. Specific security challenges include government corruption, uncontrolled regions, and uncoordinated membership of security and defense organizations. The paper sees improved intelligence and law enforcement information sharing as valuable and achievable steps towards greater regional cooperation and integration.