U.S. Navy ship entered the Black Sea
On Monday, October 17, 2016, the USS Mount Whitney command ship of the US Navy entered the Romanian port of Constanta. According to Pentagon the pupose of the visit was to "strengthen the NATO cooperation in the Black Sea".
"Strengthening alliances through port visits such as this reinforces the shared commitment to promote safety and stability within the region, while seeking opportunities to enhance interoperability with NATO allies and partners.," the statement of the U.S. Department of Defense reads.
"During our visit to Constanta, Romania, we look forward to developing our relationship and broadening our cooperation with Romania, a valued NATO ally. As the USS Mount Whitney continues to operate in the Black Sea, we are very proud of the crew's performance and dedication to furthering U.S. Navy actions to support allies and partners, working together on common challenges with all contributions valued toward a shared vision of prosperity, peace, and stability. USS Mount Whitney continues forward, engaged, and ready." - Capt. Carlos A. Sardiello, commanding officer, USS Mount Whitney stated.
Earlier it was reported that NATO expressed its concern about the deployment of Russian missiles near Alliance borders.