The Bulgarian, Romanian and Turkish Naval Forces work together to counter the mine threat in the Black Sea

The Chief of Naval Forces Staff, Vice Admiral Mihai Panait, participated on Monday, July 1st, in Istanbul, in the Mine Counter-Measures Task Group Black Sea Committee Meeting, a naval group which also includes the 30th "Sublieutenant Alexandru Axente" Minesweeper.

The command of the MCM Black Sea Task Group will be exercised for the next six months by the Turkish Naval Forces, which participate with the A-574 GÜNGÖR DURMUª Logistic Support Ship, the command ship, and the M-270 AKÇAY Minesweeper, joined by the Bulgarian Naval Forces’ M-33 STRUMA Minesweeper and the Romanian Minehunter.

The main goal of the MCM Black Sea Task Group is to maintain the safety of maritime traffic in the Black Sea, through sea mines surveillance, recognition and neutralization activities, as well as related search and rescue operations at sea.

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On January 11st, 2024, in an official ceremony held in Istanbul, Romania signed the Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of the MCM Black Sea, valid for a three- year period, in the trilateral format of Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey. The task group will be activated for the first time between July 1st and December 31st, 2024. In 2025, the task group command will be taken over in the first six months by the Bulgarian partners and in the second half of the year by the Romanian Naval Forces.

The Press Office