Bulgaria and Romania will request the inclusion of an emergency item dedicated to the security of the Black Sea in the agenda of the upcoming European Council summit on October 15 and 16 in Brussels. The goal is to achieve a common position of the European countries and subsequently begin negotiations with the other countries of the Black Sea basin to end military operations and ensure the safety of shipping. This was stated by President Iliana Yotova to the media in connection with the drone attacks in the Black Sea, a FOCUS reporter reported.
Yotova pointed out that the preparation of the Bulgarian institutions began at night, with the primary task being to rescue the sailors from the two affected ships. All sailors were rescued from one ship, and five from the other.
"First of all, I want to thank the rescue teams, because they were the first to get involved. Their task was to save as many sailors as possible from the sinking ships,“ said the president.
She explained that a crisis council had been convened early in the morning, to which operational tasks were assigned to the various services and ministries.
The day then turned into diplomatic talks and coordination with the Romanian and Turkish partners. Yotova announced that she had held a lengthy conversation with the Romanian president in order to coordinate the initial actions of the two countries.
"Our goal is, based on a common text, to refer the matter to the European Council, which will meet on October 15 and 16. Together we will request an extraordinary item dedicated specifically to the Black Sea,“ she pointed out.
According to her, the issue should not be considered solely in the context of the war between Russia and Ukraine, but should be raised independently, so as to seek a common position of the governments in the European Union. On this basis, negotiations should subsequently begin with the other countries of the Black Sea basin, including Turkey.
The President drew attention to the fact that the latest attacks were carried out in a sea corridor that is of essential importance for shipping and the economic interests of the countries in the region.
NATO is discussing additional measures for the security of the Black Sea
Iotova also announced that the security of the Black Sea was included as a special item in the meeting of the North Atlantic Council.
According to her, two directions for action are outlined with regard to Bulgaria. The first is related to the investigation and the possibility of using NATO funds to establish the location and condition of the sunken ships. The second provides for the provision of additional means of protection, including mine equipment and other security and support systems.
A telephone conversation was also held between the defense ministers of Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey, and a meeting dedicated to the security of the Black Sea is being prepared.
"All these measures are aimed at achieving a moratorium on the use of drones and the cessation of any military actions in the entire Black Sea basin“, the president said.
She stressed that such actions should not be limited only to the sea corridor near Bulgaria, as this will not lead to significant results.
Bulgaria will also raise the issue with the UN
Bulgaria will also refer the issue to the UN Security Council to ensure safe shipping, Yotova announced. She noted that the work of the Council is complicated by the fact that Russia is its permanent member and has the right of veto. Nevertheless, the Bulgarian side will take the necessary actions to have the issue raised for consideration.
The President highlighted the strategic importance of the Black Sea as a transport corridor on which food supplies to the population in Africa and Asia depend.
The activation of Article 4 of NATO must be carefully considered
In response to a question about the development of the situation in which Bulgaria would request consultations under Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty, Yotova stated that the decision must be carefully considered. She pointed out that despite the many similar incidents, Turkey and Romania, which are also NATO members, have not yet triggered Article 4. According to her, consultations and coordination between Bulgaria, the European Union, NATO, partners and neighboring countries already cover a large part of the necessary actions.
Iotova also outlined the possibility of joint activation of the mechanism by several countries.
"After the inclusion of the emergency item on the agenda of the Brussels summit, if it is deemed necessary to trigger Article 4, this would have much greater weight if done by a group of countries, including Bulgaria and Romania," the president said.