site.btaBulgaria Hands Over Rotating Mine Countermeasures Black Sea Task Group Command to Romania

Bulgaria handed over the command of the Mine Countermeasures Black Sea Task Group (MCM Black Sea) to Romania in a ceremony held in the city of Constanta on July 9, the press centre of the Ministry of Defence said on Wednesday. The ceremony was preceded by the third meeting of the supreme governing body of the MCM Black Sea, consisting of the commanders of the Naval Forces of Bulgaria, Romania and Turkiye.

“The analysis of the operational activities of the group so far proves the benefit of the initiative and confirms the mutual commitment of Bulgaria, Romania and Turkiye to the safety and security of navigation in our region,” said the Commander of the Bulgarian Navy, Rear Admiral Kiril Mihaylov, during the ceremony. He added that since the beginning of the first activation of MCM Black Sea, a number of countries have shown interest in future activities, trying to participate and contribute to their implementation. “This is good evidence that we are doing the right thing in the right way and underlines the importance of our joint initiative for the safety and security of navigation in the Black Sea. The joint efforts of the Bulgarian, Romanian and Turkish navies are recognized as an example of cooperation and coordination in a complicated geopolitical environment,” said Rear Admiral Mihaylov.

The ceremony of handing over and assuming command of MCM Black Sea was attended by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of Romania, Ionut Mosteanu, the Chief of Defense Staff of Romania, General Gheorghita Vlad, the ambassadors of the Republic of Bulgaria and the Republic of Turkiye to the country, senior officers and representatives of the local authorities.