Photo: Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov
Bulgaria is proposing to host and establish a multinational maritime coordination centre to ensure the safety of shipping in the western part of the Black Sea.
The idea was presented by Bulgarian prime minister Rosen Zhelyazkov after Thursday’s meeting “Peace and Security for Ukraine” in Paris, in which he participated at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron.
The Bulgarian proposal envisages the centre to provide constant maritime surveillance and early warnings of potential threats and hostile activities, as well as to increase the resilience of critical underwater infrastructure in the Black Sea, the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Bulgaria said last week.
“The aim is to establish guidelines for shipping and to carry out monitoring activities – by air and by water, as well as critical infrastructure, and all potential hostile actions in the Black Sea,” prime minister Zhelyazkov said after his participation in the meeting.
He said the restoration of commercial shipping is extremely important because it affects not only the bordering countries, but also the entire East-West trade.
The prime minister pointed out that the Black Sea mine action group is a good example of how coordination between coastal states can contribute to efforts to strengthen security, safety, stability and freedom of navigation in the Black Sea.
In the meeting in Paris on March 27, the cessation of hostilities in Ukraine was discussed in the context of establishing a stable and lasting peace with all the security guarantees that must be given to Ukraine, including guarantees for the security of Europe.
Zhelyazkov also highlighted the format of Thursday’s meeting, which was attended by leaders from all over Europe, as well as international partners.
This, in his words, is indicative of the strength of the cause being defended and the path chosen to establish a lasting, just peace, in compliance with all the principles of international law.
