The Minister of National Defence, Angel Tilvar, will sign on Thursday, January 11, together with his Turkish and Bulgarian counterparts, the Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of the Task Force to Counter Sea Mines in the Black Sea Mine Countermeasures Black Sea (MCM Black Sea), in the trilateral format of the Republic of Turkey, Romania and Bulgaria, during an official ceremony that is to be held in Istanbul.

The MCM Black Sea is an initiative of the three allies bordering The Black Sea aimed at facilitating the safety of navigation by countering the threats posed by sea mines.

The MCM Black Sea operational structure, with a rotating command at every six months and two scheduled activations at each rotation, will ensure a continuous level of vigilance and readiness, by contributing to the consolidation of the Allied deterrence and defence posture of the eastern flank.

NATO-member littoral states, as well as NATO Standing Maritime Groups and non-littoral Allies, will be able to participate in the MCM Black Sea activities in order to enhance cooperation in support of Black Sea security and to increase interoperability.

The Press Office