Türkiye, Bulgaria, and Romania Enter Agreement to Counter Mine Threats in the Black Sea
Ankara, The Gulf Observer: The signing ceremony for the collaborative agreement to address the mine threat in the Black Sea saw the participation of Turkish National Defence Minister Yasar Guler, accompanied by his counterparts, Romanian Minister Angel Tilvar, and Bulgarian Deputy Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov. This significant event took place in Istanbul, as announced by the Turkish National Defence Ministry on [X]. The presence of key defense officials from Turkey, Romania, and Bulgaria underscores the collective commitment of the three nations to enhancing regional security and addressing shared challenges in the Black Sea.
Türkiye, Bulgaria and Romania on Tuesday has signed an agreement to jointly tackle the mine threat in the Black Sea amid the Russia-Ukraine War.
“We are signing the Black Sea Mine Countermeasures Task Group Agreement (MCM Black Sea) within the framework of the Triple Initiative, initiated under the leadership of our country to address the mine threat in the Black Sea,” Guler said on Thursday during the ceremony.
“With the aim of enhancing our existing close collaboration and coordination for a more effective struggle against the mine threat in the Black Sea, we have jointly decided to establish a protocol among the three countries.”
Türkiye expresses great satisfaction in hosting the signing ceremony of this agreement that will contribute to “regional security” and “stability” in the Black Sea, he said.
Türkiye carefully, responsibly, and impartially applies the Montreux Convention, which is crucial for maintaining the balance in the Black Sea and is of great importance for the security of the region, Guler said.
“Following the proposal we presented to our allies Romania and Bulgaria, we embraced a strategic vision,” he said.
“Within this framework, we reached an agreement to establish a Mine Countermeasures Task Group against the drifting mine threat in the Black Sea,” the Turkish defence minister said.
The cooperation to be established with the Memorandum of Understanding will make “significant” contributions to the safety of navigation in the Black Sea, Guler said.
NATO welcomed the MCM Black Sea for demining the Black Sea on Thursday.
“We welcome that Bulgaria, Romania and Türkiye are working together against the threat of mines in the Black Sea,” NATO spokesperson Dylan White said on X.
“This is an important contribution toward greater freedom of navigation and food security in the region and beyond,” he added.
