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Five military ships of the Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 2 (SNMCMG-2) arrived on Wednesday in the Port of Constanta for a five-day stopover as part of operations carried out in the Black Sea, October 29 - November 18, according to the Chief Romanian Navy Staff (SMFN), as reported by AGERPRES.
SNMCMG-2, composed of the logistic support ship Aliakmon (Greece), the mine sweepers Tsibar (Bulgaria), Alghero (Italy), Orion (France), Edremit (Turkey) and the Romanian Locotenent Lupu Dinescu, will make a stopover in the Port of Constanta, November 11-16, at the end of the specific operations carried out in the Black Sea between October 29 and November 18.
Prior to the stopover in Constanta, SNMCMG-2 conducted specific missions in the Black Sea basin, participated in the Poseidon 20 Multinational Exercise, organised by the Bulgarian Navy, and conducted joint exercises with Ukrainian military ships in western Crimea.
"In order to comply with the measures to contain the spread and infection of the crews of military ships with the novel coronavirus, the visits of foreign military officials to the military and civilian authorities in Constanta are cancelled, as well as joint training activities in the military port and foreign sailors on board the ships, during the whole period of the stopover in Romania," reads a SMFN press statement.
In 2020, the NATO Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM) sent five standing groups to the Black Sea to secure constant naval presence in order to strengthen the deterrence and defence posture of NATO member states in the area, with the Romanian Navy (FNR) having deployed this year ships, aircraft and over 700 soldiers to these NATO missions.
Thus, for approximately 100 days, Romanian navy troops carried out in the Black Sea specific missions under the NATO flag, together with the allied military ships, three times as part of the NATO SNMCMG-2 (in January, the minesweeper Constantin Balescu also provided the leadership of the group, in July and October-November, with the minesweeper Locotenent Lupu Dinescu) and twice in the NATO maritime group SNMG-2 (Standing NATO Maritime Group), with the frigate Regina Maria, in March And July.
