Nicușor Dan after the incident in the Black Sea: “Obviously, there will be a reaction from the Romanian state”

President Nicușor Dan stated on Thursday in Brussels that Romania will issue an official response after the authorities clarify all the information regarding the incidents reported in its territorial waters. The head of state is participating in the European Council meeting and said that he does not wish to anticipate the conclusions before the checks are completed.

“Relatively few hours have passed, and we want to have all the information about exactly what happened. But, obviously, the Romanian state will issue a response,” Nicușor Dan said.

Nicușor Dan spoke with the Prime Minister of Bulgaria and is due to meet, together with him, with the NATO Secretary General to assess the security challenges in the Black Sea region. Romania and Bulgaria are requesting that the region be included in the European conclusions, as well as additional equipment and support for the operationalization of a joint civilian security center.

The president also advocated for a stronger allied presence in the region. He mentioned that Romania is discussing within NATO the transformation of the Black Sea command into a structure with a command and, potentially, a rotational location.

The statements were made after several maritime incidents. On Wednesday evening, the Romanian authorities intervened for a vessel flying the flag of the Comoros Islands, located near Sulina, which reported a fire. On Thursday morning, the Romanian Naval Authority launched a search-and-rescue operation following an incident approximately 13 nautical miles southeast of Sulina, as a result of which eight people were reported missing. The vessel “Wide Trader,” flying the flag of San Marino, transmitted an alert regarding a fire on board.