Bulgarian PM Borisov proposes demilitarisation of Black Sea. President Plevneliev wants enhanced NATO presence

Speaking in Stara Zagora, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov proposed on Saturday declaring the Black Sea a demilitarized zone without any military presence, ships and submarines.

Borisov added that the Black Sea was not a place for missiles and military actions, but rather for developing opportunities for gas and oil extraction, tourism, business, fishing and exchange of goods, novinite.com reports.

He stated that missiles, ships and submarines would not bring anything positive to the welfare of the Black Sea nations.

The Bulgarian prime minister said that he had already presented the idea to visiting prime ministers and presidents and vowed to further discuss it with his colleagues in Europe.

Borisov noted that the amassing of military presence by one side led to reciprocal actions by another side. Therefore, it was better to seek bridges of rapprochement rather than conflict.

In his words, military planning experts will prepare their recommendations on the expansion of the maritime and aerial presence in the Black Sea.

His suggestions came as the two-day summit of the heads of state or government of the member countries of NATO was drawing to a close.

The participants in the summit, which took place in Warsaw on Friday and Saturday, agreed that the decision on the expansion of NATO’s presence in the Black Sea will be taken at the next meeting of the Alliance in October.

President Rosen Plevneliev, who headed the Bulgarian delegation at the summit, said that the allies had agreed with the Bulgarian stance that NATO’s presence in the Black Sea region should be enhanced.