Türkiye, Romania and Bulgaria are set to sign a deal next month on a joint plan to clear mines floating in the Black Sea as a result of the war in Ukraine, Defense Minister Yaşar Güler said Saturday, after months of talks between the NATO allies.
Black Sea states Türkiye, Romania and Bulgaria met officials from Georgia, Poland and Ukraine in April 2022 to discuss clearing the mines after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The defense ministers from the three countries also held talks on the plan at a NATO meeting in Brussels in October and in Ankara last month as they worked to finalize the initiative.
Speaking to reporters at a meeting in Ankara, Güler said the "Trilateral Initiative" would only include Türkiye, Romania and Bulgaria for now, and their defense ministers planned to hold a signing ceremony in Istanbul on Jan. 11.
"Due to the Ukraine-Russia war, there are mines placed in both Ukrainian and Russian ports. These break free sometimes and reach our straits due to the current," Güler told journalists.
"Our mine-clearing vessels will carry out constant patrols to the point where Romania's (sea) borders end," he added.
Britain said on Monday it would transfer two Royal Navy minehunter ships to the Ukrainian Navy, as it sets up a new maritime defense coalition alongside Norway to help strengthen Ukraine's sea operations.
The British government has previously said Russia may use sea mines to target civilian shipping in the Black Sea by laying them on the approach to Ukrainian ports. Ukraine and Russia have accused each other of planting mines off the Ukrainian coast.
The Black Sea is crucial for shipping grain, oil and oil products. It is bordered by Bulgaria, Romania, Georgia and Türkiye, as well as Ukraine and Russia.
Türkiye, Romania, Bulgaria, Georgia, Poland and Ukraine previously discussed clearing floating mines in April 2022. Since then, Turkish and Romanian military diving teams have defused dozens of stray mines around their waters.
Maritime officials say the risk of crossing floating mines in the major Black Sea shipping route adds perils for merchant ships sailing in the region, and governments must ensure safe passage to keep supply chains running.
Türkiye, which maintains good ties with both Kyiv and Moscow, is also working with the United Nations, Ukraine and Russia to revive the Black Sea grain initiative, which Moscow quit earlier this year, though there have been no public signs of progress on those talks.