Romania aims expanded Black Sea task force with Türkiye, Bulgaria

BUCHAREST

Romania’s defense minister has called for NATO allies Türkiye and Bulgaria to expand their joint Black Sea mine-clearing task force to include patrols aimed at protecting energy infrastructure and trade routes from potential Russian attacks.

The three countries, which share the Black Sea with Ukraine, Russia and Georgia, established the de-mining task force last year.

"This project will have to be expanded to a patrol project in coming years. We will discuss it in the near future with our allies," Ionut Mosteanu told Reuters in an interview.

"The Black Sea ... will continue to be a battleground for Russia. We must discourage [Russia] and protect our interests, which are energy infrastructure, maritime trade and freedom of navigation. These are our objectives and they will be protected,” the Romanian minister said as quoted by the agency.

Romania, which shares a 650-kilometre (400-mile) land border with Ukraine, has repeatedly seen fragments of Russian drones fall on its territory during the conflict. In the Black Sea, Mosteanu noted "nearly daily" attempts to jam GPS signals, which he said were likely carried out by Russia, though Moscow routinely denies such accusations.

Once a major offshore Black Sea gas project is completed in 2027, Romania is set to become the European Union’s largest gas producer and a net exporter.

The country has already purchased a small, ready-made warship from Türkiye, but the Defense Ministry anticipates that acquiring additional small warships, or corvettes, could take several years.

In addition to its significant role in the Black Sea, Türkiye has also acted as a mediator between Russia and Ukraine, hosting peace talks during the early stages of the conflict and later facilitating renewed negotiations in Istanbul on May 16, June 2, and July 23. A prisoner-of-war exchange was agreed upon during the third round of talks between Russian and Ukrainian officials on July 23.