site.btaGovernment Approves Letter of Intent on Military Mobility Corridor between Bulgaria, Romania, Turkiye

At its sitting on Tuesday, the Council of Ministers approved a draft Letter of Intent between the defence ministries of Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkiye on the construction of of a harmonized military mobility corridor between the three countries. In the draft document, the three countries declare their intention to cooperate in the creation of transport routes through their territories with minimum bureaucratic restrictions, including across their borders, and with options for their use to a maximum degree in peaceful times, emergency situations, and conflicts.

The goal is to undertake synchronized measures for overcoming the factors that influence negatively the movement of military loads and personnel, including the complicated and diverse national rules for crossing borders, the ineffective information exchange system, the lack or shortage of transport infrastructure and obstructed coordination on its use.

The document proposes to identify the conditions for the use of the designated mobility corridors for the deployment of forces in peacetime and to take measures to harmonize the rules for crossing the borders of the countries, synchronize the development of transport infrastructure, optimize the use, coordination and tracking of the means of movement of forces, as well as measures in the field of information exchange processes and interoperability.

In addition to enhancing transport connectivity between the countries, which is a key factor in boosting their economic development, the Council of Ministers' decision will help achieve the necessary freedom of movement of military convoys for the successful implementation of force enhancement activities, improved rapid response capabilities and interoperability, thereby contributing to NATO's deterrence and defence capabilities in the region.

With another decision, the Council of Ministers approved a draft document of accession of the Romanian National Defence Ministry to a Letter of Intent between the defence ministries of Albania, Bulgaria, Italy, and North Macedonia on the creation of a harmonized military mobility corridor between these countries within Pan-European Transport Corridor 8, signed in Washington, DC, on July 10, 2024. The decision will contribute to a stronger cooperation between the five countries in the field of military mobility, a stronger transport connectivity between them as a main factor for promoting economic development in the region, an increase of NATO's deterrence and defence capabilities, and a deeper cooperation between the EU and NATO.