VMRO leader Krasimir Karakachanov has called on Bulgaria to start urgent talks with Turkey and Romania on security in the Black Sea. He told media in Blagoevgrad today that VMRO also sent the same position to media in a letter.

Karakachanov said fighting at sea is growing by the day and already directly threatens Bulgaria's security. He said the country must therefore lead diplomatic efforts to stop it. "We must not wait. We must take the initiative at once for a diplomatic solution," he said.

The aim is to stop news of ships hit by drones and of halted shipping in the Black Sea from becoming an everyday event.

Romania and Turkey, together with Bulgaria, are the countries hit hardest by disrupted shipping. Karakachanov proposes that Bulgarian diplomats work with its neighbours on a strategy that uses all EU and NATO tools.

He believes a joint solution to end the fighting in Black Sea waters should also be sought with the warring sides, Russia and Ukraine. Russia has been waging a full-scale war against Ukraine since February 2022, and the EU and Bulgaria back Ukraine.

For Karakachanov, the national interest is an end to the fighting in the region and the return of normal traffic by commercial ships. He wants the political elite to follow a practical and responsible policy to defend this interest. "It is time for our political elite to stop seeking gains at the expense of Bulgarians' fear," the VMRO leader said.

In his view, all of Bulgaria's diplomatic efforts should aim at joint action with its neighbours, NATO, the EU and the warring sides, until an agreement is reached to stop the fighting in the Black Sea.

Success would at the very least raise the country's international standing, and could even lead to a peace deal, Karakachanov believes.

Karakachanov holds a doctorate in international law and international relations. From 2017 to 2021 he was defence minister and deputy prime minister for security.