In the summer, the three NATO countries may begin demining the Black Sea
19.01.2024 - 11:20
Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey may start demining the Black Sea in the summer.
This was announced by the Ambassador of Ukraine to Turkey, Vasyl Bodnar, during a briefing at the Ukraine-Ukrinform Media Center.
According to him, each of the parties has its own specifics for the implementation of the tripartite memorandum signed on January 11.
In particular, Romania has already done it, Bulgaria is going through domestic procedures, and in Turkey this document must be ratified, since the use of armed forces units that will deal with demining belongs to the competence of the parliament.
“Therefore, the Turkish side is doing everything possible to carry out state coordination and ratification in the next month or a half. It is most likely that the ships will go to sea somewhere in the summer months, the area of coverage is international waters. Conventionally speaking, if we draw a line from Odessa to the Bosphorus, then to the west of this line. That is, it can be considered that from the former line of the grain corridor to the west to the territorial waters of Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey,” said Vasyl Bodnar.
Read also: It will take up to five months to clear trade routes in the Black Sea.
The ambassador also emphasized that demining will take place within the framework of NATO, as the so-called regional principle of responsibility was agreed upon at the Vilnius summit, and in this context, Turkey initiated this project.
“He is useful for us, we are interested in him and we are working to join him. The official statement is that the addition of ships or equipment, which is necessary, is possible only after the war, so as not to become objects of attacks. At the same time, information exchange and other cooperation are possible in other time frames. We will discuss this directly during the meetings,” said Vasyl Bondar.
As previously reported by USM, on January 11, Turkey, Romania and Bulgaria signed a memorandum of understanding in Istanbul on the creation of the Naval Group for Mine Action in the Black Sea (MCM Black Sea).
