Minister visits shores of Black Sea, Bulgaria Bulgaria Relation bilatérale Statement On : October 24th 2026 M. Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, went to Varna, Bulgaria, on the shores of the Black Sea, on 24 October. He spoke to his Bulgarian counterpart, Ms Velislava Petrova-Chamova. In view of the increased number of drone attacks targeting civilian ships in the Black Sea off Bulgaria and Romania in recent days, the Minister reaffirmed France’s wholehearted solidarity and its steadfast commitment to regional security. These unacceptable attacks further illustrate the threat that the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine poses to the security of the European Union and NATO. In this context, France, which is already contributing to the security of its allies, stands ready to consider Bulgaria’s requests for assistance. The ministers signed an updated road map to the strategic partnership that links our two countries, thus signalling the strengthening of the relationship between France and Bulgaria, both on the bilateral and European fronts. They talked about the prospects of stepping up bilateral cooperation in this framework, particularly in the economic field. The discussions also focused on regional issues, especially on our support for Ukraine and on European security, and on deepening the European competitiveness agenda. Photo : Philémon Henry/MEAE