By Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Dorian Jones
Published on 2024-01-20 15:22:05
Turkey, Bulgaria, and Romania have signed an agreement to clear mines from the Black Sea, which have become a threat to cargo ships due to Russia’s war in Ukraine. Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler announced the formation of a mine task force with Bulgaria and Romania to address this issue. The agreement was the result of months of diplomatic efforts.
The presence of floating mines in the Black Sea has become a significant threat to one of the world’s most important waterways for exporting grain and energy. These mines pose a danger to cargo ships as they are semi-submerged in the water and cannot be easily detected, putting vessels at risk.
Removing the threat of mines is expected to support Ukraine’s efforts to export grain to world markets, especially after the collapse of a deal with Russia. Moscow has expressed concerns about the safety of ships carrying Ukrainian exports. Mine clearing could potentially encourage Moscow to reconsider its stance.
Three mine-hunting ships from each of the coastal countries and one command ship will be assigned to the new task force. Although the Turkish navy has modern mine-clearing capabilities, the challenge is considerable due to the unknown locations and numbers of sea mines.
Despite being a member of NATO, Turkey has denied permission to other NATO allies, including the United Kingdom, to send warships to assist in clearing the mines, citing the Montreux Convention. This convention grants Turkey control over access to the Black Sea and has been used to block entry to all warships since the start of the war in Ukraine.
Analysts believe that Turkey is attempting to perform a balancing act between the NATO and Russian sides in the Ukrainian war, aiming to contain the conflict. The significance of removing the danger of mines from the Black Sea is viewed as a small but vital step towards this goal and essential for world trade.
Read the original article on RFI
