Minister of National Defence made a working visit to the Republic of Turkey

Minister of National Defence, Angel Tîlvãr, paid a working visit to Istanbul, in the Republic of Turkey, over 25-26 June, at the invitation of his counterpart, Yaºar Güler.
On this occasion, the two high officials visited together several military facilities that will host the capabilities committed by Turkey to the MCM Black Sea (Mine Counter-Measures Task Group Black Sea) Missions, an initiative developed by the allies bordering the Black Sea - Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey.
The defence ministers of Romania and Turkey visited the military ships that are prepared to conduct missions as part of the MCM Black Sea first joint action - scheduled for the beginning of July, on a date to be officially announced, soon, by the member countries of the initiative.
The Romanian party informed about the fact that the 30th "Sublocotenent Alexandru Axente", Minesweeper, the 146th Mine-Demining Ship Division of the Romanian Naval Forces, already lifted anchor on Wednesday, June 26th, in the Military Port of Constanța, bound for Istanbul, Turkey, to integrate into MCM BLACK SEA. At the same time, two Romanian Naval Forces officers will be assigned to the staff structure of the group.
"I am convinced that the activation of MCM Black Sea, even before the working sessions of the NATO Summit in Washington, will send a strong signal about the cohesion of the Alliance and the determination of the NATO countries bordering the Black Sea to ensure the freedom of navigation in the area, which is essential for the security of the entire region", Angel Tîlvãr stated.
During the official talks held between the delegations led by the two ministers, the very good relations between Romania and Turkey in the field of defence were also emphasized, at bilateral, regional and multilateral levels.
"The signing of the Framework Agreement between the Government of Romania and the Government of the Republic of Turkey in the military field, on October 24th, 2023, represented an important step in enhancing our political-military relations and reflected the commitment to expand and strengthen this cooperation. My counterpart from the Republic of Turkey and I are determined to continue working to ensure peace and stability in the region in a framework conducive to cooperation. The imminent activation of the MCM Black Sea represents a concrete result of our close collaboration, which will contribute to strengthening the security climate in the Black Sea, strongly disturbed by the Russian Federation’s aggressive actions ", Minister Tîlvãr stated.

Minister of National Defence showed that by rendering the MCM Black Sea operational, the states contributing to the initiative will ensure an essential capability that will enhance the freedom of navigation, as well as increase trust and cooperation among allied states in countering drifting sea mines in the Black Sea, key-objectives of the Alliance.

The Press Office