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DefMin Tilvar: Russia's aggressiveness makes the Black Sea a problem with global implications
The Russian Federation's aggressiveness and disregard for the norms of international law make the Black Sea not only a regional problem but one with global implications, Defence Minister Angel Tilvar said in Istanbul on Thursday.
According to a National Defence Ministry (MApN) press release, he signed in Turkey the Romanian-Bulgarian-Turkish Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of the Mine Countermeasures Naval Group in the Black Sea (MCM Black Sea), a first initiative for the allied states bordering the Black Sea.
Alongside the Romanian minister, participating in the signing ceremony were Turkish Defence Minister Yashar Guler and Bulgaria's Deputy Minister of Defence Atanas Zaprianov, on behalf of the initiating states.
During the official signing ceremony of the Memorandum, the Romanian official highlighted the importance of this project for the safety of navigation in the Black Sea, but also for the allied posture of deterrence and defence on the Eastern flank, the MApN said.
"The achievement of this project was one of the priorities of my mandate, because it is our responsibility, as littoral states and NATO members, to make every effort for the security of this sea, with the support and involvement of our allies," said Minister Tilvar.
He stressed that the security of the Black Sea region remains an absolute priority for Romania, and the Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of the Mine Countermeasures Naval Group in the Black Sea will allow other allied and partner states to contribute to this initiative.
"By launching the MCM Black Sea we demonstrate our solidarity and shared commitment to countering the threat of sea mines drifting in the Black Sea. (...) Last month, the first of two mine-hunting vessels purchased from the UK entered service with the Romanian Naval Forces. This new capability, equipped with state-of-the-art technology, will contribute significantly to the accomplishment of mine identification and neutralisation missions in the Black Sea," the Romanian minister pointed out.
Addressing the key issue of Black Sea security, Angel Tilvar said that other initiatives, such as NATO's Air Police missions, also play an important role in maintaining regional security.
"I would like to express my sincere appreciation to our valuable ally Turkey for the recent deployment of four F-16 aircraft and 80 military personnel to one of our main air bases," said Defence Minister Tilvar.
The Romanian official stressed that "NATO's full attention must be kept on the security developments in the Black Sea region where, against the norms of international law, the Russian Federation continues indiscriminate attacks targeting Ukrainian civilian infrastructure, causing significant destruction with major impact on the civilian population."
