Nicușor Dan to convene CSAT on thursday following attacks on ships in the Black Sea

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The meeting will take place against the backdrop of a deteriorating security situation in the Black Sea, following a series of attacks on commercial vessels, including near the coasts of Romania and Bulgaria.

Among the members of the new Cabinet expected to attend the meeting are Prime Minister Luca Niculescu; Marian Neacșu, Deputy Prime Minister and nominee for Minister of Internal Affairs; Radu Ștefan Oprea, nominee for Minister of National Defense; Radu Marinescu, nominated for the Ministry of Justice, and Sebastian-Dănuț Neculăescu, nominated to head the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Their attendance is mandated by the composition of the CSAT, which includes, alongside the President of Romania and the Prime Minister, the holders of the key portfolios with responsibilities in the field of national security.

Nicușor Dan to discuss attacks on Black Sea vessels with the President of Bulgaria today

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The Council also includes the Minister of Finance—a position for which Alexandru Nazare has been nominated—the Minister of Economy—a portfolio assigned to Daniel Zamfir in the new government—as well as the directors of the SRI and SIE, the Chief of the Defense Staff, and the presidential advisor on national security.

The CSAT meeting was convened after Romania and Bulgaria intensified discussions regarding the security of commercial navigation in the Black Sea.

President Nicușor Dan recently announced that he had spoken by phone with Bulgarian President Iliana Iotova about drone attacks on commercial vessels and incidents that have affected navigation and infrastructure in the region.

The head of state emphasized that Russia’s direct attacks against Ukraine pose a threat not only to navigation in the Black Sea region but also to energy infrastructure and the security of the entire continent.

Romania and Bulgaria agreed to collaborate more closely to promote firm measures to counter drones within the European Union and NATO, with a view to ensuring safe commercial navigation.

For her part, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova-Chamova announced in Berlin that Bulgaria intends to cooperate with Romania and Turkey to establish a mechanism for monitoring attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea.

Last week, a Ukrainian-flagged cargo ship was damaged and sank following an attack in the Black Sea. Five sailors were rescued, while 11 others were reported missing.

Previously, a Turkish cargo ship was sunk, and another was damaged. Two crew members died.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev stated that there is, for the time being, no clear and solid evidence to establish responsibility for the attacks, but he noted that the evidence points to the Russian Federation.

The incidents have once again drawn attention to the vulnerability of maritime transport in the western Black Sea and the risks to Romania, given that the attacks are occurring near its maritime borders and trade routes to the Danube ports and Constanța.