Romanian interim defense minister Radu Miruta signed, on the sidelines of the NATO Summit in Ankara, the Amendment to the Memorandum of Understanding with Bulgaria and Turkey, expanding the Mine Countermeasures Task Group in the Black Sea (MCM Black Sea TG) to include the protection of critical underwater infrastructure. According to the Romanian Defense Ministry, the signing of the document during the NATO Summit showed the three countries’ common commitment to strengthening security in the Black Sea and developing allied cooperation in the maritime domain. “Through missions carried out by the Romanian Naval Forces together with regional partners, the maintenance of a permanent naval presence in the area of responsibility is ensured, including throughout Romania’s Exclusive Economic Zone, not only as a deterrence measure but also as an immediate response instrument,” the institution noted in a press release .