The defence ministers of Bulgaria, Romania and Türkiye met in Sofia and agreed to strengthen information sharing and early warning in the Black Sea. Their joint call for an end to attacks on merchant ships came as another vessel was attacked off Bulgaria. Political consultations will continue in Bucharest, with military experts meeting in Ankara.
The defence ministers of Bulgaria, Romania and Türkiye met on 28 October in Sofia, Bulgaria’s capital, to discuss Black Sea security. Bulgarian minister Dimitar Stoyanov hosted Romania’s Stefan-Radu Oprea and Türkiye’s Yaşar Güler. The countries’ military chiefs also attended. The talks followed Bulgarian President Iliana Iotova’s call on 7 October for urgent consultations to protect commercial shipping and freedom of navigation.[1], [2]
Following the meeting, the ministers condemned drone attacks on merchant vessels and called for an immediate end to attacks threatening ships and maritime infrastructure. They agreed steps to improve information exchange, shared awareness of conditions at sea and early warning. Oprea said the response needed to cover both air and maritime threats. Güler said the three countries had the capabilities necessary to take measures.[1]
The container ship Contship Jet came under attack off Bulgaria while the ministers were meeting. Their statement addressed the safety of merchant routes and maritime activity. The ministers agreed to continue political-level discussions in Bucharest, Romania’s capital, and military-expert talks in Ankara, Türkiye’s capital. Stoyanov said cooperation would continue both among the three countries and within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the NATO defence alliance.[1]
