The foreign ministers of Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkey – Georg Georgiev, Oana Țoiu, and Hakan Fidan, held a trilateral meeting dedicated to security in the Black Sea region and support for Ukraine. The first diplomats met within the framework of the meeting of NATO foreign ministers held on December 3, this year, in Brussels.
The countries emphasized that the Black Sea is a key front for the security of Europe and the transatlantic community, and Russia's war against Ukraine requires enhanced coordination and active engagement of the Alliance. The ministers noted the importance of the mission of the Joint Mine Countermeasures Group in the Black Sea (MCM Black Sea) and discussed the possibilities for expanding its mandate with activities to protect critical underwater infrastructure.
Within the framework of the meeting, Minister Georg Georgiev stressed the need for a more serious NATO presence in the Black Sea with the aim of deterrence, situational awareness, and countering hybrid threats coming from Russia. Our first diplomat emphasized the need for a more adapted application of existing international legal norms and ensuring the movement of allied naval forces when conditions allow.
In addition, on the Bulgarian side, concern was expressed about the activity of the Russian “shadow fleet” in the Black Sea, which violates sanctions, finances the aggression against Ukraine, and creates military and environmental risks in the region.
The countries united around the view that investments in the security of the Black Sea are investments in the security of the entire Euro-Atlantic region, which requires close cooperation between NATO and the EU.
It was also confirmed that any peaceful solution to the conflict in Ukraine should guarantee the security interests of the country, as well as those of the NATO allies, and be based on international law and the principles of the UN Charter.