Bulgaria is preparing urgent talks with Turkey and Romania on shipping security in the Black Sea after attacks on merchant ships off the Bulgarian coast. Sofia's intention is reported by the Turkish newspaper “Türkie Gazetesi“, with the information being quoted by BGNES.
President Iliana Yotova has announced that the consultations with Ankara and Bucharest will be aimed at ensuring the safety of maritime transport. It has also called for increased NATO activities in the region.
Proposal for a new shipping mechanism
Bulgaria is expected to present a proposal for a new mechanism to protect safe maritime navigation in the Black Sea at the European Union summit on October 15-16.
Sofia also plans to ask the International Maritime Organization to investigate the attacks and take measures to protect merchant ships. So far, no general solution has been indicated for a specific international response.
Among the ideas discussed is a ban on the use of drones by the six countries that have access to the Black Sea - Bulgaria, Turkey, Romania, Ukraine, Russia and Georgia. The possibility will be discussed against the backdrop of attacks that have put the security of commercial shipping at risk.
Plans for stronger surveillance and protection
Bulgaria, Turkey and Romania already have a common format for countering some of the risks in the Black Sea. In 2024, the three countries established a mine countermeasures task force due to the threat of sea mines.
The new initiatives envisage strengthening air and maritime surveillance, expanding reconnaissance and tracking activities with unmanned aerial vehicles and acquiring defense systems against drone threats. According to “Türkie Gazetesi“ these actions should be coordinated with NATO and the European Union and accelerate Bulgaria's military modernization.
Bulgarian authorities emphasize that the expansion of NATO activities in the region will not violate the Montreux Convention. The document regulates Turkey's powers over the straits and the regime for the passage of warships to the Black Sea.
Yotova supports a European peace coalition
Along with maritime security, Iliana Yotova has linked the initiatives to diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine. She supports the creation of a European peace coalition in which Bulgaria would actively participate.
„I support taking all possible actions for the earliest possible creation of a peace coalition, which would be a European proposal and in which Bulgaria would also actively participate“, Yotova states.At the moment, there is no common decision on a ban on drones or on a new mechanism for the protection of shipping. The proposals are to be discussed in talks with Turkey and Romania, as well as at the European Union summit.
Sources: btvnovinite.bg, turkiyegazetesi.com.tr