Bucharest:European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has expressed support for enhanced maritime cooperation between Romania, Bulgaria, and Turkey, emphasizing the need to operationalize the Black Sea Maritime Security Hub. During a joint news briefing with Romanian President Nicusor Dan, she highlighted the urgency of addressing defense and security challenges in the region.

According to Anadolu Agency, von der Leyen stressed the importance of maintaining freedom of navigation in the Black Sea, citing recent drone attacks on commercial ships and the resulting loss of innocent sailors' lives. She called for increased maritime surveillance and bolstering the EU's security in the information space.

Von der Leyen announced an additional £10 million ($11.2 million) funding for Romanian search and rescue operations, aiming to enhance the region's crisis response capabilities. She also reaffirmed European support for the upcoming US-mediated peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in Abu Dhabi, emphasizing that the goal is to end Russia's war in Ukraine.

The EU is also focused on a post-war prosperity plan to support Ukraine's stability and reconstruction, with discussions on Europe's security architecture to occur post-ceasefire. The Abu Dhabi talks, set for Tuesday and Wednesday, will be the fourth round of US-mediated negotiations under the Trump administration and the first since the previous round in Geneva.