site.btaDefence Minister Zapryanov Addresses Black Sea and Balkans Security Forum in Bucharest

Bulgarian Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov called for a regional strategy to tackle security challenges in the Black Sea region, the Defence Ministry reported on Friday, covering Zapryanov’s participation in the Black Sea and Balkans Security Forum in Bucharest.

“The unstable Black Sea region directly jeopardizes peace and prosperity of the North Atlantic community,” Zapryanov said. “A correct approach to the strategic situation, based on analyzing risks and ways to manage them, will help us generate and restore security and stability in the region.”

He underscored the geostrategic importance of the Black Sea region for the security of Europe and Asia. Among the stability risks, he singled out Russia’s ongoing war to Ukraine, the fragility of democratic systems, economic disparities and energy dependence.

Zapryanov urged: “We need to be prepared to cope with lasting instability in the Black Sea region, where Russia poses a direct threat to every Black Sea country and the Euro-Atlantic area as a whole. There is an urgent need for a regional strategy to deal with this reality, placing a focus on the Euro-Atlantic security architecture. Bulgaria will take an active part in putting such a strategy into reality.” In the context of the collective response to the worsened security environment, Bulgaria favours reinforcing deterrence and defence along NATO’s eastern flank, he added.

Discussing the Military Mobility initiative, Zapryanov emphasized the strategic importance of building Pan-European Corridor 8 from Italy through Albania, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to Romania and constructing a third bridge across the Danube between Bulgaria and Romania next to the older existing one at Ruse/Giurgiu, which will be part of a new corridor of priority importance from the Baltic Sea to the Black and Aegean Seas and the corridor linking Romania, Bulgaria, Greece and Turkiye. “In addition to strengthening deterrence and defence along NATO’s eastern flank, these projects will also contribute to the economic development of the Black Sea region,” the Bulgarian Defence Minister said.

In conclusion, he stated: “I am convinced that, to the Transatlantic community and the Black Sea countries, the goal is clear: a stable region integrated in the Euro-Atlantic community, in which the sovereignty of every nation in the region is respected, international trade develops and political stability is enhanced. This goal requires leadership, cooperation, investments and persistence. All these undertakings definitely call for tough decisions, adequate actions and a measure of courage.”

The Black Sea and Balkans Security Forum was also attended by Romania’s National Defence Minister Angel Tilvar, Moldova’s Defence Minister Anatolie Nosatii and Turkiye’s Deputy National Defence Minister Suay Alpay. They highlighted the importance of the Black Sea region for the security not only of the countries bordering the Black Sea but also the wider region and Europe. Speakers hailed the timely creation of the Black Sea Mine Countermeasures Task Group and gave high marks for its work.

After the forum, Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov had a tete-a-tete with his Romanian counterpart Angel Tilvar. They acknowledged the progress in bilateral military cooperation since Tilvar’s visit to Sofia in April. The two discussed the joint efforts of Sofia and Bucharest in NATO and the EU with regard to military mobility. Zapryanov and Tilvar underscored the importance of the EU’s new initiatives for the development of the two Balkan neighbours’ military capabilities under the ReArm Europe Plan. They shared the view that the complex security issues related to the development of infrastructure call for the engagement of all competent government institutions.