News - Belgium, Brussels, Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria

During a formal ceremony held on 30 October 2026 in Zeebrugge, Belgium officially handed over the minesweeper ‘BNS Bellis’ to the Bulgarian Navy. The ceremony was attended by the commanders of the Bulgarian and Belgian navies, Rear Admiral Kiril Mihaylov and Rear Admiral Tangi Botman, the Bulgarian Ambassador to Belgium, Natalia Uzunova, and Bulgaria’s Permanent Representative to NATO, Nikolay Milkov.

The ‘BNS Bellis’, renamed ‘Briz’ upon changing flags, is the first of four Belgian vessels to be handed over to Bulgaria and forms part of the trilateral Memorandum of understanding between Belgium, the Netherlands and Bulgaria for the transfer of seven minehunters. This new generation of mine countermeasures vessels employs advanced unmanned systems to detect, identify and neutralise sea mines from a safe distance.

In a security environment where freedom of navigation, the protection of critical maritime infrastructure and the security of trade routes are increasingly under pressure, mine countermeasures remain an essential military capability. Particularly in the Black Sea region, the ability to detect and neutralise maritime threats is of major importance for regional stability and the collective security.

The transfer of the Belgian and Dutch Tripartite minehunters enables Bulgaria to further develop its capabilities and make an even greater contribution to maritime security on NATO's eastern flank. The agreement also provides for Bulgarian support in the education and training of Ukrainian crews operating vessels of the same class. As such, the initiative also contributes to broader regional maritime security