Three NATO countries to sign an agreement on mine clearance of the Black Sea

7 January, 2024 A drifting sea mine was detected in the Black Sea March 28, 2022. Photo credits: Romanian Naval Forces Turkey, Romania, and Bulgaria will sign an agreement on joint mine clearance in the Black Sea next week.

Todor Tagarev, Minister of Defense of Bulgaria, announced this, the Bulgarian BTA agency writes. For this purpose, the countries will establish a mine action group, whose mission will start after the signing of the relevant agreement. Mines are falling into parts of the Black Sea near Turkey, Romania, and Bulgaria due to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

According to the Minister of Defense of Bulgaria, the countries have been working on this agreement since the end of summer 2023.

Minesweeper Lt. Dimitrie Nicolescu (DM-29) of the Romanian Naval Forces. Photos from open sources

"We have reached an agreement on the concept and the text of the agreement itself - how to settle all the issues, and next week, my deputy will be in Istanbul to sign it, and this mission will start soon," he shared.

At the same time, the Minister of Defense of Bulgaria added that Russia's aggression against Ukraine poses risks to the territory of the Black Sea region and to the safety of navigation. "And to minimize these risks, the navies of the three countries are also involved in demining, hopefully successfully," Todor Tagarev noted. Militarnyi previously reported that the joint minesweeping force of Turkey, Romania, and Bulgaria will not be considered a NATO operation, but will be the first major joint action by the Black Sea allies since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Also, last fall, Admiral Ercument Tatlioglu, Turkish Navy Commander, commented against the presence of naval forces from other NATO allies, including the United States, in the Black Sea. According to him, the presence of vessels from non-Black Sea countries could further increase tensions in the region.

A civilian ship that exploded on a mine in the Black Sea. December 2023.

Photo credits: State Border Guard Service of Ukraine

On December 28, 2023, a civilian ship flying the Panamanian flag en route to a Danube port to load grain exploded on a mine in the Black Sea.