The Black Sea security hub will have two bases, one in Varna and one in Constanta. This became clear after foreign minister Velislava Petrova met French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot in Varna.

The Varna base will probably be at the Naval Academy. Work is already under way there on the technical side of building it.

The hub is part of the EU's approach to security in the Black Sea region. "This is a European Union project that shows its intention to defend its eastern flank against hybrid attacks," Barrot said.

He said the project responds to growing aggression by Russia, which has again expanded in Ukraine.

Bulgaria and France take the same position on attacks on merchant ships. "Bulgaria and France share the view that there must be a moratorium on attacks on merchant ships in the Black Sea," Petrova said.

Barrot said the first attack on a merchant ship near Bulgaria came on 6 October and the second on 13 October.

Petrova believes the moratorium must come from joint efforts at regional level, in the EU and in NATO. She said the Black Sea is of top importance for Europe, and its security also affects other regions.

She said France is one of the countries that has made safe shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and the Black Sea a priority, and she is pleased with their joint work on the issue. The minister added that EU and French support for funding the hub matters.

Barrot said the two ministers will sign a road map towards a strategic partnership between Bulgaria and France at the meeting.