By The European Times | Created at 2026-10-03 15:07:09 | Updated at 2026-10-04 00:04:59
9 hours ago
The Black Sea is a strategic region of key importance for food security, the blue economy, maritime transport, tourism, fisheries, and aquaculture. This was stated by the Bulgarian Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food, Prof. Dr. Ivan Paligorov, at the opening of the Stakeholder Conference on the Common Maritime Agenda for the Black Sea 2026 at the opening on September 30 in Burgas. He emphasized that its preservation requires consistent efforts, responsible policies, and effective international cooperation.
Deputy Minister Paligorov expressed satisfaction that Bulgaria is hosting this high-level forum, which brings together all partners committed to the sustainable development of the Black Sea region.
He noted that key priorities for the Ministry team include the sustainable management of fisheries and aquaculture, the improvement of scientific data collection and analysis, and the strengthening of systems for controlling and monitoring fishing activities. “At the same time, we are working to boost the sector’s competitiveness, support coastal communities, and create new opportunities for employment, investment, and economic growth,” Prof. Ivan Paligorov added.
He firmly stated that the challenges facing the Black Sea cannot be resolved by any single country acting alone. According to him, marine pollution, the impact of climate change, the sustainable management of fishery resources, and the promotion of innovation require coordinated action at the regional level.
Participants in the conference included Charlina Vitcheva, Director-General of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE); Dragoș Simion, President of Romania’s National Agency for Fisheries and Aquaculture (ANPA); Gabriel Popescu, Director of the Maritime Policy and Inspections Directorate in Romania; and Hristo Panayotov, Executive Director of the Executive Agency for Fisheries and Aquaculture (EAFA).
Russia is open to dialogue with all nations regarding security guarantees in the Black Sea, but no concrete negotiations on bilateral agreements are currently underway, Dmitry Peskov, press secretary to Russian President Vladimir Putin, said on October 2, as cited by TASS.
“It depends on the type [of bilateral agreements]. We are open to dialogue with all countries, but at the moment, no specific discussions on this matter are taking place,” Peskov said in response to a question about whether options for bilateral agreements with other nations—including India, Egypt, and Turkey—were being considered.
When asked if Russia had received proposals from other countries regarding Black Sea security, Peskov replied that the topic had been touched upon the previous day during the Valdai Forum. “The President [Putin] has already answered that question,” he added.
Thus, the Kremlin confirms its readiness to discuss issues related to security in the Black Sea region, without, however, announcing any specific initiatives or ongoing negotiations, TASS noted.
