Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey Expand Black Sea Mission to Protect Underwater Infrastructure

Bulgaria, Romania and Türkiye are expanding the mission of the Black Sea mine countermeasures group with a new task focused on the protection of critical underwater infrastructure. The government has approved amendments to the Memorandum of Understanding between the three countries on the establishment of the Mine Countermeasures Naval Group in the Black Sea (MCM Black Sea).

Under the approved changes, the group will also carry out surveillance and reconnaissance in the area of operations. The main objective is to prevent deliberate attacks against critical infrastructure, the damage of which could affect national security and the economic interests of the three countries.

The expansion of the mandate of MCM Black Sea is a result of the growing importance of underwater infrastructure for the security of the Black Sea region and the Euro-Atlantic space.

The mine countermeasures group was established at the beginning of 2024 to ensure the safety of shipping and to counter the mine threat in the Black Sea. Its activities contribute to strengthening regional security and the Eastern Flank of NATO within the framework of collective defence and deterrence.