Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2024 All Rights Reserved

Bulgaria will not send a warship to Red Sea, says defence minister

Photo: BTA

The war in Ukraine poses a risk to shipping, Defence Minister Todor Tagarev said in Blagoevgrad, quoted by the BGNES news agency. That is why Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey are joining forces to clear mines floating in the Black Sea - to ensure the safety of navigation in our waters. 

Minister Tagarev rejected suggestions that Bulgaria would send a warship to the Red Sea, to rescue the kidnapped Bulgarian sailors. Our task is to free them, but we cannot engage in a military mission without a decision by Parliament. "It is not at all about sending troops somewhere in Yemen, we are involved with staff officers," the minister added. Tagarev said that the first hijacked ship had a Bulgarian captain and first mate. They are still on board and have not been released, he said. 

The defence minister is in Blagoevgrad to congratulate soldiers who took part in the KFOR mission in Kosovo and the EU force in Bosnia and Herzegovina "Altea".

Reuters quoted last week U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin as saying that several countries have agreed to jointly carry out patrols in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden to try to safeguard commercial shipping against attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

MEP Andrey Kovatchev

Andrey Kovatchev: The Western Balkan countries must do their homework if they want to join the EU

There is no need for a mediator in relations between Bulgaria and North Macedonia, MEP Andrey Kovatchev told BNR on the occasion of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's proposal to mediate between Sofia and Skopje. Regarding the decoupling..

published on 9/29/24 2:59 PM

Dimitar Glavchev convenes an emergency meeting for the evacuation of Bulgarians from Lebanon

Caretaker Premier Dimitar Glavchev has convened a meeting at the Council of Ministers to discuss measures for the safe evacuation of Bulgarians from Lebanon, the government press service reported. Representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,..

published on 9/29/24 12:16 PM

Nikola Nikolov - Pascal has been detained in Serbia

Nikola Nikolov - Pascal, considered one of the largest smugglers, has been arrested in Serbia during a joint operation by Bulgarian and Serbian special services. The name of the detainee gained notoriety during the arrest of former National..

published on 9/29/24 11:31 AM