On January 10, 2023, the Romanian Ministry of Defense issued a press release stating that the Bulgarian minister would sign a memorandum of understanding with Turkey and Bulgaria to counter the threat of sea mines in the Black Sea. In the press release, the Ministry stated that NATO standing maritime groups would participate in MCM activities in the Black Sea.
Romanian Ministry of Defence press release – Translated by Naval News
The Minister of National Defence, Angel Tîlvăr, will sign on Thursday, 11 January, together with his Turkish and Bulgarian counterparts, the Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of the Task Force to Combat Sea Mines in the Black Sea – MCM Black Sea, in the trilateral format Republic of Turkey, Romania and Bulgaria, during an official ceremony in Istanbul.
The MCM Black Sea is an initiative of the three allies bordering the Black Sea to facilitate the safety of navigation by combating the threat of sea mines.
The operational structure of MCM Black Sea, with a rotating command every six months and two planned activations in each rotation, will ensure a continuous level of vigilance and preparedness, and contribute to strengthening the Allied posture of deterrence and defence of the Eastern flank.
NATO’s littoral partners, as well as NATO’s Standing Naval Groups and non- littoral Allies, will be able to participate in MCM Black Sea activities to develop cooperation in support of Black Sea security and improve interoperability.
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Naval News comments:
The NATO task groups SNMG2 (Standing Naval Maritime Group 2) and SNMCMG2 (Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 2) mentioned by the Romanian Defense Ministry are operating in the Mediterranean region. Although it is not clearly stated in the press release, SNMCMG2 can be expected to deploy in the Black Sea since the mission to be carried out in the Black Sea is related to mine countermeasures. This is an important development, as no warship from a non-riparian country has been allowed to enter the Black Sea since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war.
Last week, the Turkish Government’s Directorate of Communications stated that Article 19 of the Montreux Convention will continue to be implemented with sensitivity. Article 19 allows warships from countries other than belligerent states to pass through the straits.
