Romania, Bulgaria and Türkiye on Wednesday signed an amendment to the memorandum governing their trilateral Mine Countermeasures Black Sea Task Group, expanding its mandate to include the protection of critical underwater infrastructure.
Romania's Defence Ministry said the amendment was signed by the three countries' defence ministers on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara.
The ministry said the move reflects the allies' shared commitment to strengthening security in the Black Sea and enhancing maritime cooperation.
It added that protecting critical underwater infrastructure requires a "complex, integrated and long-term approach", describing the task group as an example of regional interoperability that contributes to security across the Black Sea.
According to the ministry, joint missions conducted by the Romanian Naval Forces and regional partners help maintain a permanent naval presence across Romania's area of responsibility, including its exclusive economic zone, serving as both a deterrent and a rapid-response capability.
The memorandum establishing the Mine Countermeasures Black Sea Task Group was signed on January 11 2024, creating the first trilateral initiative of its kind among NATO members bordering the Black Sea.
Its primary mission is to ensure freedom of navigation through surveillance, mine countermeasure operations, the neutralisation of maritime hazards and search-and-rescue missions.
Since becoming operational on July 1 2024, the task group has completed 10 deployments. Command rotates every six months among the three countries. Türkiye currently holds command, which will pass to Bulgaria on Wednesday.
Romania's minehunter Captain Constantin Dumitrescu will participate in the group's 11th deployment from July 9 to 24, supporting maritime surveillance and freedom of navigation during the multinational BREEZE 2026 exercise.
