Turkey's Yilmaz: We are two Black Sea countries compelled to co-operate because of our alliance

Romania and Turkey are two Black Sea countries that have to co-operate closely for regional security, Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz said on Friday in Bucharest. Yilmaz held a joint news conference with Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu.The senior Turkish official mentioned the current demining agreement signed by Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey."To ensure security in the Black Sea, we are two riparian countries that are compelled to work and co-operate also because of the alliance we are in. Since the beginning of the war, we have worked together with our Romanian and Bulgarian allies in the Working Group on Measures against Drifting Mines in the Black Sea. These joint activities are planned to start as soon as possible," Yilmaz said, according to the official translation.He also mentioned his country's involvement amid the ongoing Russian aggression against Ukraine."Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Turkey has fought very hard to stop the war, to ensure basic global security, for the safety of navigation in the Black Sea and we will continue to work in that area, thanks to the Black Sea Straits Convention, under which we have to ensure security in the area, lower the tension in the area and ensure the security of our area," Yilmaz said.At the same time, Turkey's vice-president spoke about the regional security situation. "We are on the side of peace, of stability in our area," he saidHe added that he would attend the inauguration of a natural gas transmission pipeline between Tuzla and Podisor on Friday. "This project is to the benefit of Romania, and also to the benefit of the European Union from an energy point of view," he said.In his speech delivered at the Romanian Government House, Yilmaz said that one week previously the presidents of Romania and Turkey had a telephone call in which "they discussed very fruitfully our bilateral relations and regional affairs."He also thanked Romania for supporting Turkey's accession to the European Union and for the strategic partnership between the two countries."The mutual trust between our nations is at the base of our bilateral relations," pointing to the air policing mission carried out by Turkey in Romania, under the NATO umbrella.In terms of economic exchanges, Yilmaz said trade between Turkey and Romania exceeded the USD 10 billion mark.