European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is arriving in Varna, where she will meet with Prime Minister Rumen Radev. The visit is part of a tour of the Black Sea region and is taking place against the backdrop of tensions surrounding a series of drone attacks on commercial vessels.
The main topic of the talks will be security in the Black Sea. In a preliminary statement, Ursula von der Leyen said: “Freedom of navigation in the Black Sea must be restored and preserved.” The President of the European Commission said that during her visits to Romania and Bulgaria, she would discuss with the countries’ heads of state and government how Europe can strengthen its response to threats in the region.
Visit to the Naval Academy
Ursula von der Leyen and Rumen Radev’s programme in Varna includes a visit to the Nikola Vaptsarov Naval Academy. The two will familiarise themselves with the work of the Cyber Operations Training Centre, as well as with the capabilities of specialised centres and laboratories.
A presentation is planned of the Sea Survival Centre, the Hydrometeorology and Oceanography Laboratory and the “QUASAR” Centre of Competence, whose full name is “Quantum Communication, Intelligent Security Systems and Risk Management”. The programme also includes the Centre for Integrated Coastal Zone Management and Monitoring and the “Azimov” Space Technologies Research Laboratory.
Meeting at “Euxinograd”
Following the visit to the Naval Academy, the President of the European Commission and the Bulgarian prime minister will hold a bilateral meeting at the Euxinograd residence. A media briefing is scheduled after the talks.
Before arriving in Varna, von der Leyen visited Romania, where she discussed security in the Black Sea region with the relevant government representatives. In Bucharest, financial support of €50 million was announced for the establishment of a maritime security centre in the Black Sea for Bulgaria and Romania.
From Bulgaria, the President of the European Commission will travel to Turkey, where she will participate in the UN Climate Change Conference COP31.
Sources: euronews.bg, btvnovinite.bg, bgnes.bg