In brief
In Sofia on 28 October 2026, Bulgarian Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov announced a proposal for a Black Sea coordination mechanism with Romanian and Turkish counterparts. The scheme aims to accelerate responses to security incidents, improve freedom‑of‑navigation decisions and introduce independent measures. The ministers also addressed recent drone attacks and outlined new memoranda on low‑flying‑threat projects and MICA missiles.
Sofia, 28 October 2026 – Bulgarian Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov revealed that a coordination mechanism between Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey would be proposed to speed up responses to developments affecting Black Sea security.
Stoyanov made the announcement to reporters in the capital before trilateral talks in Sofia on Black Sea security. He said that the three countries needed a coordination mechanism to respond even faster to situations involving freedom of navigation and maritime security, and that it would help them make "sound, appropriate decisions in complex situations" and serve the interests of all three countries.
The meeting was hosted at the Boyana Residence, the official venue for Black Sea security dialogues in Sofia. Participants included Bulgarian Chief of Defence Admiral Emil Eftimov, Romanian Defence Minister Stefan‑Radu Oprea, Romanian Deputy Chief of Defence Lieutenant General Dragos‑Dumitru Iacob, Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler and Turkish Chief of Defence General Selcuk Bayraktaroglu as well as their respective delegations.
In a separate statement, Stoyanov said the Council of Ministers would decide on two memoranda on that day: one on Bulgaria joining a project to counter low‑flying threats and another on acquiring MICA surface‑to‑air missiles for the country’s patrol ships. These measures are intended to reinforce the country’s maritime defensive capabilities.
Stoyanov also highlighted that the annual trilateral talks were prompted by recent drone attacks on merchant ships in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone. He noted that a container ship had been struck by three maritime drones about 21 nautical miles southeast of the Bulgarian coastal town of Shabla, and that the incident was the latest in a series of drone attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea.
"Sofia hosted trilateral talks on Black Sea security at Boyana Residence on Wednesday," Stoyanov told reporters before the meeting.
The ministers agreed to discuss independent measures to ensure freedom of navigation, noting that no memorandum directed at Russia or any other country was being considered at this stage. Stoyanov stressed that the discussions focused exclusively on actions the three countries could take autonomously and that the measures would be made public only after a common position had been reached with the Romanian and Turkish sides.
After the talks, Stoyanov held a press conference in which he stated that Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey had "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 proposed coordination mechanism, if adopted, would allow the three allies to accelerate decision‑making, better coordinate maritime patrols and coordinate intelligence sharing. It would provide a structured framework for rapid response to emerging threats and enhance the overall security posture of the Black Sea region.
While the exact details of the mechanism remain under discussion, the joint commitment from the three ministers signals a step forward in regional cooperation. The Minister of Defence of each country, the Chiefs of Defence and the participating delegations expect to finalize the agreement by the end of the meeting, according to the statements from the ministers and the Russian bilateral relationships within the Black Sea security framework.
