site.btaTurkiye, Romania Praise NATO Mine Countermeasures Black Sea Task Group, Mull Broader Cooperation

After a session of talks in Ankara on Friday, Foreign Ministers Hakan Fidan of Turkiye and Oana Toiu of Romania made statements which were livestreamed on social media.

The two chief diplomats commended the operation of the Mine Countermeasures Black Sea Task Group (MCM Black Sea), which involves Turkiye, Romania and Bulgaria and has been set up within NATO. 

Hakan said that MCM Black Sea has been successfully operating since its establishment in July 2024. "Turkiye believes it would be useful for the group to take on additional tasks in the future, such as protecting underwater infrastructure in the Black Sea."

For her part, the Romanian guest stressed the need to deepen trilateral collaboration. "We can indeed pursue this cooperation in other areas as well, beyond the NATO framework. At the same time, it could serve as a role model for other countries," she pointed out.

Fidan said he and his Romanian counterpart had discussed joint projects to include Bulgaria as well. "We are working hard to enhance our transport links by air, sea and land. At the same time, we set ourselves the objective to implement larger projects, too, that will also involve Bulgaria," he said.

Turkiye's EU membership prospects were also on the agenda. Fidan thanked Toiu for Bucharest's support of Ankara's progress towards joining the European Union.

"The shift of balances once again shows that Turkiye and Romania are two elements that make the EU whole," the host said. "The constructive messages recently coming from European leaders provide a valuable opportunity to overcome the stagnation in our relations. In this context, I shared with my colleague our expectations for a review of the Customs Union and the renewal of dialogue on easing visa requirements."

"We have always backed Turkiye's entry into the European Union. We need this step for Turkiye, especially in economic terms," Toiu said.

The two chief diplomats also discussed European security and Ankara's role in shaping it. "Europe's security architecture is being rebuilt," Fidan noted. "We have always stood up for a strategic and long-term approach to this process. In this regard, Turkiye's active involvement is critically important for Europe's security. As you know, the European Union recently presented its Black Sea Strategy. We rely on Romania's support for sharing experience with our country in implementing that strategy."

During her visit to Ankara, Toiu conveyed an invitation from Romanian President Nicusor Dan to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to visit Bucharest next year, when the two countries will mark the 15th anniversary of elevating their relations to the level of strategic partnership.

It transpired at the news conference that Turkiye and Romania target increasing their two-way trade from USD 12 billion in 2024 to USD 15 billion in 2025. The two countries'  plans for defence industry cooperation were also presented. Romania is planning to purchase warships from Turkey. The two countries have plans for joint manufacture of defence technology products in Romania.