MOSCOW. March 10 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia and Turkey plan to conduct the Black Sea Harmony counter-terrorism naval operation in the Black Sea in 2005.
"In the second half of 2005 the Russian Black Sea Fleet and the Turkish Navy plan to participate in the Black Sea Harmony counter-terrorism operation, conducted within the framework of the NATO-led Active Endeavor counter-terrorism operation in the Mediterranean," a high-ranking official in the Russian Navy Staff told Interfax-Military News Agency on Thursday.
According to him, Turkish ships and ground troops are expected to control the southern waters and straits, while Russian ships will operate in northern waters of the Black Sea.
"The sides reached agreement on involving other Black Sea states, but the latter stand for expanding the NATO-led Active Endeavor operation to the Black Sea region as an alternative to the Russian-Turkish plan. Romania and Bulgaria are the major advocates of the proposal," he said.
In November-December 2004 the Pytlivy and the Smetlivy patrol boats in service with the Black Sea Fleet participated in the joint exercise with NATO ships in the Ionian Sea within the framework of preparations for participation in the Active Endeavor operation.
The NATO-led Active Endeavor operation started in the wake of 2001 terrorist attacks in the U.S. Back then the operation envisioned establishing control over navigation in the Strait of Gibraltar and the Suez Canal. In March 2004 it was decided to expand the area of the operation to cover the entire Mediterranean.