Russia 'concerned' over foreign activities in Black Sea

MOSCOW

Russia is concerned over the increased activity of foreign states that do not have a coastline in the Black Sea region, the country's Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksandr Grushko said.

Commenting on the information about the arrival of two US warships, Grushko said entries to the Black Sea by NATO countries' warships and the duration of their presence have increased recently.

"The responsibility for maintaining security in the Black Sea belongs to the Black Sea states themselves, which have created all the necessary tools for this, including the Black Sea Economic Cooperation," Grushko told Russian news agency Interfax.

On April 8, a Pentagon official told reporters that the US was considering sending warships into the Black Sea in the coming weeks, amid a large Russian military build-up on the Ukrainian border.

He recalled that, according to the Montreux Convention, the United States must notify Turkey 14 days in advance about the planned passage of ships through the the Istanbul and Canakkale straits.

On Friday, Turkey said it received a notification for the passage of two US navy ships through the Turkish straits.

The ships will enter the Black Sea separately on April 14 and 15, and will remain there until May 4 and 5, according to Turkish diplomatic sources.