Sofia Forum Outlines a New Format of Trilateral Cooperation between Bulgaria, Türkiye and Romania in the Balkans

Bulgaria is intensifying regional cooperation with Türkiye and Romania in strategic sectors that are crucial for security, connectivity and economic development in the Black Sea basin. This was reported by Bulgaria’s Ministry of Economy, Investment and Industry following the Balkan Business Forum in Sofia.

The event brought together more than 200 representatives of businesses, commercial companies and foreign investors. Opening the forum, Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Pulev emphasized that the trilateral format involving Bulgaria, Türkiye and Romania could become an important instrument for shaping a new architecture of regional cooperation in the Balkans and the wider Black Sea region.

Particular attention was paid to the security of navigation in the Black Sea basin. According to Alexander Pulev, this is of critical importance for cooperation with key partners within NATO, as well as for the stability of trade and logistics routes in the region.

Ahead of the forum, a meeting was held in Sofia between Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. The parties discussed prospects for deepening bilateral relations, particularly in the fields of energy, transport, regional stability and security.

Among the new strategic areas of cooperation between Bulgaria, Türkiye and Romania are high technologies, artificial intelligence, digital transformation and joint infrastructure projects. The Bulgarian government has declared its readiness to accelerate initiatives aimed at improving transport connectivity in the Balkans.

“Our government is ready to help, and you can count on a sustainable and professional approach so that we can continue to develop much larger and much more ambitious projects,” Alexander Pulev told representatives of international business.

The forum also placed special emphasis on economic cooperation between Bulgaria and Türkiye. Türkiye remains one of Bulgaria’s leading foreign trade partners, with bilateral trade reaching record levels. More than 2,200 companies with Turkish participation currently operate in Bulgaria and play an important role in creating jobs in a number of regions.

Bulgaria’s Ministry of Economy views these enterprises as an important tool for reducing regional employment disparities outside major economic centers. The forum also highlighted the spirit of humanitarian solidarity between Bulgaria and Türkiye, including the assistance provided by Bulgaria after the devastating earthquake in Türkiye in 2023.

Comment by the Institute of Danube Research

According to Vitaliy Barvinenko, Director of the Institute of Danube Research, the strengthening of cooperation between Bulgaria, Türkiye and Romania is significant not only for the Balkans but also for the broader system of security and economic resilience in the Black Sea-Danube region.

“The trilateral format involving Bulgaria, Türkiye and Romania demonstrates that security, infrastructure and economic development in the Black Sea basin are increasingly being considered as interconnected issues. For Ukraine, this is an important signal. The stability of maritime and river routes, the development of transport corridors, digitalization and energy cooperation directly affect Ukrainian trade opportunities, the operation of Danube ports and Ukraine’s broader integration into the European economic space,” Vitaliy Barvinenko noted.

The Institute for Danube Research emphasizes that the intensification of cooperation between NATO countries on Europe’s southeastern flank may create additional prerequisites for strengthening the security of navigation, developing multimodal logistics and building resilient economic ties between the Balkans, the Black Sea region and the Ukrainian Danube area.