Türkiye, Romania and Bulgaria have agreed to expand their joint Black Sea security cooperation by extending the mandate of the Black Sea Mine Countermeasures Task Group (MCM Black Sea) to include the protection of critical undersea infrastructure.

The agreement was signed by Turkish National Defense Minister Yaşar Güler, Romanian Defense Minister Radu-Dinel Miruța and Bulgarian Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov during a meeting held at the Presidential Complex in Ankara on the sidelines of the NATO Summit.

New role for MCM Black Sea

Under the amended memorandum of understanding, the task group's responsibilities will now include safeguarding critical underwater infrastructure belonging to Türkiye, Romania and Bulgaria in the Black Sea.

The expanded mandate is intended to strengthen maritime security, enhance the protection of strategic undersea assets and deepen defense cooperation among the three NATO allies.

Regional security cooperation

The MCM Black Sea initiative was established by Türkiye, Romania and Bulgaria to enhance mine countermeasure capabilities and improve maritime security in the Black Sea.

The latest expansion reflects growing regional efforts to protect critical energy and communications infrastructure amid heightened security concerns in the Black Sea following the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war.

The three countries have continued to coordinate closely on maritime security through NATO while seeking to ensure the safety of navigation and the resilience of critical infrastructure in the strategically important Black Sea region. (ILKHA)