In brief
Bulgarian Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov announced the proposal for a joint coordination mechanism with Romania and Turkey at trilateral talks in Sofia on 28 October 2026. The plan follows a series of drone strikes on commercial shipping in the Bosporus. The ministers also agreed to strengthen Bulgaria’s low‑flying threat countermeasures and surface‑to‑air missile capabilities.
Sofia, 28 October 2026 – After a series of drone attacks on merchant vessels in the Black Sea, Bulgarian Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov announced that a coordination mechanism between Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey would be proposed at trilateral talks in Sofia, according to BTA.
Bulgarian Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov said:
a coordination mechanism between Bulgaria, Romania and Turkiye will be proposed to speed up responses to developments affecting Black Sea security.
During the meeting at Boyana Residence, BTA reported that the Council of Ministers would decide on two memoranda: one on Bulgaria’s participation in a low‑flying threat countermeasures project and another on acquiring MICA surface‑to‑air missiles for patrol vessels.
The proposed mechanism aims to streamline decision‑making on freedom of navigation and maritime security, letting the three states act faster during complex incidents.
Stoyanov and his Romanian and Turkish counterparts condemned the recent drone strikes and said the initiative would “serve the interests of all three countries,” BTA quoted.
He added that no memorandum directed at Russia or any other country would be considered at this stage, and that measures would remain confidential until agreements were reached.
The ministers, together with defence chiefs Admiral Emil Eftimov, Lieutenant General Dragos‑Dumitru Iacob and General Selcuk Bayraktaroglu, will finalize agreements by the end of the meeting, BTA noted.
