Prime minister Rumen Radev and Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a phone call that Bulgaria and Turkey will work more closely to keep shipping free in the Black Sea, the government press office said.

The two leaders agreed on more joint initiatives on the issue, both bilateral and three-way, with Romania taking part.

Erdogan expressed sympathy over the drone strikes on merchant ships in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea. According to the press office, Radev and Erdogan share the view that a moratorium on military strikes against merchant shipping is a sensible and workable way out that serves all countries. Radev proposed it at the European Council meeting.

The call also covered bilateral issues: more capacity at border checkpoints and better links between the two countries, including with EU funding.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told a debate in the European Parliament a day earlier that the Black Sea corridor is the most important route for Ukrainian wheat supplies. She said Russia is deliberately using food as a weapon and undermining global food security.

Radev invited Erdogan to a high-level meeting in Sofia early next year, held under the auspices of the European Commission. It will focus on links between Europe and Central Asia.