Turkey, Bulgaria and Romania have signed a water mine clearance agreement. These three countries close to Ukraine fear being affected by drifting mines in the Black Sea.
Turkey, Bulgaria and Romania signed an agreement on Thursday aimed at strengthening collaborative efforts in maritime mine clearance. Called “Triple Initiative”this agreement should allow the establishment of a six-month rotational command to ensure “a constant level of surveillance and reaction, contributing to the strengthening of a dissuasive and defense alliance”.
Since the start of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict on February 24, 2022, these three countries close to Ukraine have feared being affected by drifting mines in the Black Sea. Ankara, which has managed to manage its relations with Moscow and Kyiv, also insists that this agreement “intended to contribute to the safety of navigation in the Black Sea, was not formed against or as an alternative to any country or structure, but was created solely for defensive purposes”.
At the beginning of 2022, Turkey also implemented the agreement Montreux Convention of 1936 which prevents Russian or Ukrainian ships from passing through the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits while asking countries outside the Black Sea not to send warships.
Moscow and Kyiv accuse each other of being responsible for these mines drifting in the Black Sea.