Five ships departed from Istanbul last week to conduct demining operations in the Black Sea. Currently, three NATO member countries are involved in this initiative, but Ukraine also plans to join the demining efforts.
During a briefing at the Ukraine Media Center, Ukraine's Ambassador to Turkey, Vasyl Bodnar, stated,
"Plans are currently being formulated for specific demining operations. Last week, five ships departed from Istanbul: one each from Bulgaria and Romania, specifically minehunters, and three Turkish ships, which are starting preparations for demining operations in a designated area identified on relevant maps, mainly in international waters in the western part of the Black Sea."
According to Vasyl Bodnar, discussions are also underway regarding expanding the area of operations and adding new participants. He noted that Ukraine had previously expressed interest in joining this initiative, and this matter is currently under consideration by all parties.
Furthermore, Vasyl Bodnar mentioned that some NATO countries have shown interest in participating in this initiative at the level of liaison officers.
"For us, this is a very beneficial initiative as it allows for the creation of a safer environment for ship passage. In due course, we will also join this initiative because it is in our interest, especially to conduct demining in Ukraine's territorial waters. Currently, this initiative is under NATO's auspices as a regional responsibility involving three NATO member states and focuses on creating safer conditions for our shipping corridor used for transporting goods, as well as consolidating international efforts on demining in the Black Sea.
Undoubtedly, initially we will join without the participation of ships or technical personnel, but possibly with liaison officers or communication pathways with the Turkish side. In the future, I hope we will have the capabilities to participate as a full member, as Ukraine is a littoral state of the Black Sea region and a NATO aspirant, added Vasyl Bodnar.
