President Iliana Iotova opened an international conference on Black Sea security in Sofia today. She said the Consultative Council for National Security agreed on a Bulgarian proposal for a European framework mechanism for security and safe shipping in the region. See our original report: Yotova to open conference on Europe's security.
The mechanism aims to make better use of existing capabilities rather than create new structures, Iotova said.
"We must guarantee freedom and security of navigation in the Black Sea. This is our first and main task," the president said.
She said the Black Sea is one of the key areas for national, European and global security. Iotova said the war between Russia and Ukraine has made the security situation in the region much worse. It has also changed how maritime security, freedom of navigation and the protection of critical infrastructure are viewed, she said.
The recent attacks on merchant ships are not an incident but real military action, the president said. They call into question the safety of individual ships and crews, and the principles of free and safe international shipping. She said the idea of maritime security must be rethought in the 21st century.
A year ago, when the conference was being discussed, nobody expected the topic to be so relevant, Iotova said. A clear and strong signal must be sent today.
"The Black Sea must be a zone of stability, predictability and peace," the president said. Bulgaria has an interest in defending this cause, and a responsibility to do so.
Personally, she would add to the conference theme the words "a key to the security of the whole world".