Information and Public Relations Directorate
E-mail: presamapn@mapn.ro
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The fourth activation of the Group of Naval Cooperation in the Black Sea, BLACKSEAFOR, the regional initiative with participation of Bulgaria, Russian Federation, Georgia, Romania, Turkey and Ukraine will be developed between August 3 and 28, 04 in the Black Sea.
This year the Romanian Navy is represented by “MACELLARIU” corvette commanded by Lieutenant Commander Florin Tanase. The 105 sailors on board of the ship will train together with the representatives of the members of the initiative in order to gain the participating forces interoperability through the exercises of communication, search and rescue, re-fueling on the sea passing through the drained sectors, exercises on security of navigation for the humanitarian convoys and preparation for the missions of counter-smuggling and terrorism. During the stops in Batumi (Georgia), Novosibirsk (Russian Federation) and Sevastopol (Ukraine) the Romanian militaries will take part to the meetings with the military and civil officials and the population will have the possibility to visit the BLACKSEAFOR ships.
Andrei Mititelu, graduated Navy Academy from Annapolis (Maryland,USA) will be on board of “MACELLARIU” ship and will received the “baptize of sea” as officer of the Romanian Navy.
BLACKSEAFOR is a regional initiative of the riveran countries for strengthening the trust, the friendship and the good understanding, to increase the cooperation and the interoperability between the maritime forces. The initiative was launched by Turkey during the Reunion of the Navy Commanders developed in Varna, April 1998.
Ten reunions at experts level were organized between October 1998 and December 2000 thus: four in Turkey, two in Romania and one in each of the other implied countries and they elaborated and negotiated the text of the agreement for establishing the group and its annexes.
BLACKSEAFOR is conceived as a force “at request” activated at least once per year for training. The group consist of 4-6 ships of destroyer, frigate, corvette, patrol, amfibiousor auxiliary ships belonging to the countries that signed the agreement. The ships are stationed in their permanent bases and gather during the common exercises. The first BLACKSEAFOR activation was in September 27 and October 16, 2001 in Turkey.
Navy Staff