Bulgaria must activate Article 4 of the NATO treaty due to the escalation and the latest attacks on merchant ships in the Black Sea. This was stated by the former Minister of Defense, Prof. Todor Tagarev, in the program “Denyat ON AIR“ on Bulgaria ON AIR.
“The situation here is really escalating incredibly. In this situation, our government is inadequate“, said Tagarev. According to him, the country's reaction was late, and the creation of a coordination mechanism does not solve the problem if specific means of protecting ships are not provided.
„How many more ships must sink in our waters before they can take real measures?“What does Article 4 provide?
Article 4 allows any NATO country to request consultations when it believes its territorial integrity, political independence or security is threatened. Within the North Atlantic Council, the allies exchange information and discuss possible joint actions. The mechanism does not mean the automatic activation of collective military defense, as is associated with Article 5.
“Article 4 seeks a comprehensive solution on which all allies exchange information“, Tagarev emphasized.
Another attack on a merchant ship
On October 28, a container ship flying the Liberian flag was hit by three naval drones in the Bulgarian exclusive economic zone. The crew was rescued, and the incident occurred near Cape Kaliakra. According to BNT, this is the fifth merchant ship hit in the area of the Bulgarian exclusive economic zone.
The first attacks on vessels in the zone were registered on October 6, when two ships were hit. On October 23, a cargo ship was sunk in an attack off the Romanian coast, killing one crew member and leaving other sailors missing.
Tagarev also commented on the political situation ahead of the presidential elections. According to him, opposition will intensify through anonymous materials and publications on the Internet. “There will be 50 times more that are without an author and are being spread massively on social networks, on the Internet“, he said.