Bulgaria has offered to host a multinational maritime coordination center to monitor a potential Black Sea ceasefire agreement between Ukraine and Russia.
Earlier this week, the U.S. said it reached separate peace agreements with Ukraine and Russia on pausing attacks at sea and against energy targets.
But Russia has demanded the lifting of sanctions against Moscow’s financial sector before observing the Black Sea ceasefire.
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov said a Black Sea hub could carry out constant maritime surveillance and issue early warnings of potential threats, raising safety for international shipping and critical underwater infrastructure.
He added: “The goal is to establish guidelines for shipping and to carry out air and water monitoring activities, both of critical infrastructure and of all potential hostile actions in the Black Sea region.”
The Black Sea has vital shipping routes connecting Europe to Asia and plays a major role in the economies of the countries that have access to it, such as Bulgaria, Turkey and Romania.
It is also a key site for military operations in Russia’s war against Ukraine, as it surrounds the Crimean Peninsula and is home to two major Ukrainian ports, Odesa and Sevastopol.
But Russia has demanded the lifting of sanctions against Moscow’s financial sector before observing the Black Sea ceasefire.
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov said a Black Sea hub could carry out constant maritime surveillance and issue early warnings of potential threats, raising safety for international shipping and critical underwater infrastructure.
He added: “The goal is to establish guidelines for shipping and to carry out air and water monitoring activities, both of critical infrastructure and of all potential hostile actions in the Black Sea region.”
The Black Sea has vital shipping routes connecting Europe to Asia and plays a major role in the economies of the countries that have access to it, such as Bulgaria, Turkey and Romania.
It is also a key site for military operations in Russia’s war against Ukraine, as it surrounds the Crimean Peninsula and is home to two major Ukrainian ports, Odesa and Sevastopol.
More In Politics MORE...
