Allied naval missions and training sessions at the Black Sea
Agenția Media a Armatei, 13.11.2024, 14:15
On November 4th through 9th, Romania’s Naval Forces took part in the POSEIDON 24 multinational exercise, organised by Bulgaria in its territorial waters. The “Grigore Antipa” diving support vessel participated in the training sessions, providing hyperbaric care, maritime research and search and rescue services. The exercise was aimed at improving the inter-operability of the participating structures, and focused on strengthening operational capabilities by practising NATO procedures and combat tactics.
“POSEIDON is an annual exercise, organised alternatively by Romania and Bulgaria, and its main goal is to enhance the inter-operability of participating structures,” said the vessel commander, Cristian Mitu. Also taking part in the exercise were the minesweeper “Lt. Dimitrie Nicolescu”, alongside the other vessels in the Romanian-Bulgarian-Turkish task force for countering naval mines in the Black Sea, which has convened for the 3rd time this year. The partner vessels in Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey are conducting operations to ensure safe navigation and to remove prospective threats to sea shipping, such as naval mines.
Early this year, in an official ceremony in Istanbul, Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey signed a Memorandum of Understanding on setting up a mine clearing vessel group in the Black Sea for a period of 3 years.
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Polish troops in the Multinational Brigade South-East, hosted by Romania, celebrated Poland’s Independence Day on November 11. Poland has contributed 225 troops to 26th Infantry Battalion in Craiova (south). On November 11, Poland celebrates regaining its independence in 1918, after 123 years it had been divided between Austro-Hungary, Prussia and Russia.
“Even if we are far from Poland, we marked this day in a significant manner. We’ve had a military ceremony attended by our own troops as well as guests from other countries: Romania, North Macedonia, Portugal and France. The Ambassador of Poland and the military attache in Romania were also present, as were Polish officers from other international Allied structures. The ceremony included promotions, decoration of troops and speeches on the importance of Independence Day. Then we had a festive lunch where we told stories and enjoyed each other’s company. There are customs that connect us to our country even when we are far away. On Independence Day we put on our uniforms, raise Poland’s flag and acknowledge the merits of our soldiers. We also take a moment to honour those who fought for our independence. All these help us feel closer to our heritage and remind ourselves of our duty as soldiers. It is a way to connect to Poland’s values, wherever we are,” the head of the Polish unit major Michal Miedzielski told us.
