Within the scope of the Tripartite Initiative formed by Turkey, Romania and Bulgaria against the mine danger in the Black Sea, Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler, Romanian Minister of Defense Angel Tilvar and Bulgarian Deputy Minister of Defense Atanas Zapryanov met in Istanbul. At the ceremony held at the Kalender Pavilion in Istanbul, the "Black Sea Mine Countermeasures Task Group Memorandum (MCM Black Sea)" was signed by all three Ministers.
Making a speech at the ceremony, Minister Yaşar Güler said:
WE ARE PLEASED TO HOST THIS CEREMONY
We are signing the "Black Sea Mine Countermeasures Task Group Memorandum" (MCM Black Sea) within the scope of the "Tripartite Initiative" we initiated with Romania and Bulgaria, under the leadership of our country, against the mine danger in the Black Sea. We jointly decided to sign a protocol between 3 countries in order to fight more effectively against the mine danger in the Black Sea by improving our existing close cooperation and coordination. That's why we're here today. As Turkey, I would like to express my great pleasure in hosting the signing ceremony of this agreement, which will contribute to regional security and stability in the Black Sea, and on this occasion to host the Romanian Minister of Defense, Mr. Angel Tilvar, and the Bulgarian Deputy Minister of Defense, Mr. Atanas Zapryanov, in our country.
WE IMPLEMENTED MONTREAL IN AN IMPRENTIVE MANNER AND WE ARE IMPLEMENTING IT
As you know, after the war that started in Ukraine in February 2022, the Black Sea coastal countries were affected by this war in different ways. First of all, I would like to point out that, as Turkey, we are making multifaceted efforts to establish regional and global security, peace and stability, in this period when risks and threats increase and conflicts evolve into war.
In this context, after the crisis that emerged in the Black Sea, under the leadership of our President, we made intensive diplomatic initiatives to end conflicts, provide humanitarian aid, establish a grain corridor and establish permanent peace. As Turkey, we have implemented and are implementing the Montreux Straits Convention, which ensures the balance in the Black Sea in line with the principle of regional ownership and is of great importance for the security of the region, carefully, responsibly and impartially. We thank all the states that have complied with the rules of the Montreux Convention so far, and we expect the same sensitivity from all states from now on. In this process, protection from the security risks that war could cause was of vital importance for riparian allies.
WE SEND AN OFFER TO ROMANIA AND BULGARIA FOR COOPERATION
With the beginning of the war, we started to develop measures to eliminate the threat posed by mines drifting in the Black Sea, and our Naval Forces, in particular, made great efforts by assuming great responsibilities in this regard. In order to make these efforts more efficient and beneficial, we thought it would be appropriate to cooperate with our Black Sea coastal allies. As a matter of fact, we adopted a strategic vision after the proposal we made to our allies Romania and Bulgaria. In this context, we agreed to establish a Mine Countermeasures Task Group against the threat of drifting mines in the Black Sea. Thereupon, our technical delegations started negotiations last September.
Our delegations worked intensively to implement this important initiative and made great progress in a short time. Thus, we have come this far with joint efforts together with our Bulgarian and Romanian allies to overcome the mine threat. At this point, I would like to thank the Romanian and Bulgarian authorities, who responded quickly to our proposal, considering the importance of the issue, and provided immediate support to the work with their expert staff. I believe that this initiative is also important within the scope of "Allied Regional Efforts" included in the NATO Vilnius Summit declaration.
IT WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE SAFETY OF NAVIGATION IN THE BLACK SEA
As a result, I evaluate that the cooperation to be established with the Memorandum of Understanding we signed today will make great contributions to the safety of navigation in the Black Sea. In addition, this initiative will increase the close cooperation between our countries and enable the transfer of experience; I wholeheartedly believe that it will further develop our relations, especially in the Black Sea.
On this occasion, we wish the Black Sea Mine Countermeasures Task Group Memorandum to be auspicious for our countries and our Armed Forces; I hope that it will make significant contributions to the security of the Black Sea and the region.
As I conclude my words, I would like to thank once again the Romanian Minister of Defense Angel Tilvar and the Bulgarian Deputy Minister of Defense Atanas Zapryanov for their presence and their efforts in the emergence of this memorandum.