Sofia hosted trilateral talks on Black Sea security at Boyana Residence on Wednesday. Participants included Bulgarian Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov and Chief of Defence Admiral Emil Eftimov, Romanian Defence Minister Stefan-Radu Oprea and Deputy Chief of Defence Lieutenant General Dragos-Dumitru Iacob, Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler and Chief of Defence General Selcuk Bayraktaroglu, along with their respective delegations.

Speaking to reporters before the meeting, Stoyanov said the talks had been prompted by attacks on merchant ships in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea a week or two earlier. He said a coordination mechanism between Bulgaria, Romania and Turkiye would be proposed to facilitate a faster response to developments affecting Black Sea security. Stoyanov expressed hope that the three countries would reach a common position by the end of the meeting.

He stressed that the discussions focused exclusively on measures the three countries could take independently to ensure freedom of navigation. No memorandum directed at Russia or any other country was being considered at this stage. Stoyanov added that the measures would be made public only after agreement had been reached with the Romanian and Turkish sides.

Stoyanov also said the Council of Ministers was expected to decide on two memoranda on Wednesday: one concerning Bulgaria’s participation in a project to counter low-flying threats, and another on the acquisition of MICA surface-to-air missiles for the country’s patrol ships.

Following the meeting, Stoyanov told a press conference that Bulgaria, Romania and Turkiye unequivocally condemned drone attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea. He thanked his Romanian and Turkish counterparts for accepting the invitation and described their participation as a clear sign of their shared responsibility to act together amid a complex regional situation.

The statement came after reports earlier in the day that a container ship had been struck by three maritime drones about 21 nautical miles southeast of Shabla, a Bulgarian Black Sea coastal town. The incident was the latest in a series of drone attacks on merchant vessels in the Black Sea.

Stoyanov said the three countries had agreed to establish a trilateral coordination mechanism for the Black Sea. Under the agreement, they will hold regular consultations, exchange information and identify further practical measures to strengthen regional security and stability. The sides also agreed to hold meetings at the political level in Bucharest and among military experts in Ankara in the near future.

Speaking to journalists after the talks, Romanian Defence Minister Oprea said Romania supported the swift launch of the Black Sea Maritime Security Hub as part of the European Union’s strategic approach to the region.

Oprea recalled that six drones had been shot down in Romania this year during air-policing missions. He said the incidents reflected a dangerous escalation of the risks stemming from Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. Romania was strengthening its surveillance, early-warning, counter-drone and mine-countermeasure capabilities to ensure safe access to ports and protect critical infrastructure, including energy facilities in its exclusive economic zone, he added.

Oprea described the trilateral meeting as a valuable opportunity to better coordinate national efforts and strengthen regional cooperation. He also pointed to the Mine Countermeasures Black Sea Task Group as a positive example, saying it already provided a solid foundation for enhancing maritime security.