The Consultative Council for National Security (CCNS) has condemned the attacks on merchant ships in the Black Sea as a gross violation of international maritime law and called for an immediate investigation to establish those responsible, President Iliana Iotova said on Wednesday.
The executive branch will inform the public of the findings once the investigation is completed, Iotova said, presenting the common position reached by participants in the CCNS meeting on the current risks and threats to Bulgaria’s maritime security and critical Infrastructure in the context of the war in Ukraine. According to the President, three quarters of the CCNS members supported a set of recommendations to the executive and legislative branches.
Iotova said the meeting had reached agreement on continuing to implement measures adopted by the Council of Ministers to counter the threats. The participants also identified the need for an analysis of possible changes to the regulatory framework to facilitate implementation of those measures.
“The greatest guarantees for our security are an immediate ceasefire and the use of all political and diplomatic channels to achieve peace. Bulgaria must play an active role in this process,” the President said.
She said CCNS members had also agreed to continue implementing the measures taken by the executive branch to counter risks and threats, strengthen maritime situational awareness through the use of unmanned aerial systems for reconnaissance and surveillance, and accelerate the modernization of the armed forces with the aim of acquiring counter-drone systems capable of kinetic action, in close cooperation with NATO and the European Union.
The CCNS further agreed that the executive branch should propose to Parliament amendments to the existing regulatory framework to support measures for the physical protection of strategic sites and ensure the country’s maritime security, as well as to maintain the national maritime search-and-rescue system at a high level of readiness.
Bulgaria should also activate its capacity as a full member of the European Union and NATO to adopt a firm position and ensure the protection of its security, economic and environmental interests, as well as regional stability, Iotova said.
She said NATO’s Eastern Sentry enhanced vigilance activity provides an opportunity for Bulgaria to request increased Allied contributions to the security of the Black Sea region, including additional air and maritime surveillance capabilities and strengthened coastal defence and counter-drone systems, within the framework of NATO’s enhanced presence along the coast. NATO describes Eastern Sentry as a multi-domain activity strengthening vigilance along the Alliance’s entire eastern flank, including the Black Sea.
According to Iotova, the proposals do not violate the Montreux Convention.
She added that calling for consultations at this stage would be unproductive because a practice has been established whereby such incidents are discussed only within the North Atlantic Council, and consultations would not lead to additional measures.
The CCNS also agreed that Bulgaria should propose that the European Union develop a framework mechanism for free and safe navigation in the Black Sea as part of its strategic approach to the region, Iotova said. She said that the EU identifies maritime security as one of the main pillars of its Black Sea strategy and envisages the creation of a Black Sea Maritime Security Hub, but that more specific measures are needed, which Bulgaria could propose. The EU’s strategic approach does indeed envisage such a hub to strengthen maritime safety and security, protect critical infrastructure and improve maritime situational awareness.
The President said the CCNS had further agreed that, if necessary, the civil protection mechanism should be activated because of environmental risks, while the EU satellite centre’s monitoring capabilities should be used to identify threats and financial compensation should be provided for any losses incurred.
The Council also agreed that Bulgaria should urgently consult with Romania and Turkiye on joint action to stop attacks on merchant ships in the Black Sea and guarantee the safety of navigation.
It was further agreed that Bulgaria should take an active role in negotiations and efforts to reach consensus among the Black Sea littoral states – Russia, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Romania, Georgia and Turkiye, on a moratorium on hostilities in the Black Sea and on turning it into a zone of shared security, Iotova said.
The issue of the Black Sea, including the risks, threats and solutions for ensuring safety, should be raised at all European forums in which Bulgaria participates, and particularly at the upcoming European Council meeting on October 15-16, Iotova said. The dates of the summit are confirmed by the European Council.
Regarding the United Nations, the CCNS agreed to request assistance from the mechanisms of the UN’s International Maritime Organization for a technical and legal analysis of the incidents in the Black Sea, as well as a resolution guaranteeing freedom and safety of navigation in the Black Sea, the President said.
National Security Council Condemns Attacks on Merchant Ships, Bulgaria to Seek Moratorium on Hostilities in Black Sea 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-10-07 17:32:55
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