By KYIV. Nov 20 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Turkey, Romania and Bulgaria are nearing an agreement to create a joint force to clear mines drifting into their parts of the Black Sea as part of the fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Bloomberg reported on Monday with a reference to its sources in the governments of these countries.
According to the report, deputy defense ministers from the three nations are set to meet in Ankara on November 22. At the same time, it’s unclear whether a final accord will also be signed after the two-day meeting.
The meeting comes just days after Turkey’s Navy Chief Admiral Ercument Tatlioglu expressed opposition to the presence of naval assets in the Black Sea from other NATO allies, including the US, saying they could further fuel tensions in the region.
“If agreed, the mine-sweeping force wouldn’t be considered a NATO operation but would be the first major combined action of Black Sea allies since President Vladimir Putin ordered the war on Ukraine in February 2022,” Bloomberg said.
