NATO allies Turkey, Romania, Bulgaria sign deal to clear Black Sea mines
Al Jazeera
Initiative limited to three nations aims to make shipping safer, including for vessels transporting grain from Ukraine.
Turkey, Romania and Bulgaria have signed an agreement to clear mines drifting in the Black Sea that have posed a threat to shipping since the start of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
On Thursday, Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler said the deal establishes a Mine Countermeasures Task Group among the three NATO allies to deal with the mines as he met in Istanbul with his Romanian counterpart, Angel Tilvar, and Bulgarian Deputy Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov.
Zapryanov said mines pose a “danger to ports, communication networks and key water infrastructure” while Tilvar added that Russia’s “disdain for the norms of international law and its aggression in the Black Sea is not only a regional problem but also a problem with global consequences”.
Sea mines have posed a threat to Ukraine’s Black Sea export routes since Russia’s invasion in February 2022, and several commercial ships have been hit, including a bulk carrier heading to a Danube River port to load grain in December.
Ukraine has two main ports on the Danube – Reni and Izmail – which have become central to the country’s grain exports since Russia’s blockade of Ukraine’s Black Sea ports and Moscow’s withdrawal in July from a United Nations-backed agreement that had allowed grain shipments safe passage across the Black Sea.
Vulnerable nations are seeking $1.3 trillion annually to deal with the damage caused by climate change and to adapt.
The city’s southern suburbs have been hit repeatedly in recent months
New York judge cancels a sentencing hearing previously scheduled for November 26 without setting a new date.
Many Haitian children face the stark choice of joining a gang or suffering from violence, poverty and hunger engulfing them.
Tapped to lead the Justice Department, Bondi is a former Florida attorney general and longtime Trump supporter.
The arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant could lead to countries rethinking arms deals with Israel, experts say
Moscow says the Oreshnik, a nuclear-capable weapon, was used in an attack on Ukraine amid escalating tensions.
Police say a ‘suspected prohibited item’ was discovered in luggage in the facility’s south terminal.
The NGOs want the Netherlands to ban the export and transit of weapons, weapon parts, and dual-use items to Israel.
All the details about the biggest two weeks in chess as a young Indian grandmaster takes on the Chinese world champion.
South Korea’s national security adviser says North plans to use the weapons to defend its airspace over the capital.