Romania, Bulgaria, and Greece create strategic corridor to help move military equipment and soldiers quickly along NATO’s Eastern Flank

The defense ministers of Romania, Bulgaria, and Greece signed a letter of intent in Washington on Thursday to create a military mobility corridor between the three countries, according to an official statement. The event had been announced by the Greek press, which reported that this corridor would reduce the importance of the Bosphorus Strait and diminish Turkey’s role in NATO logistics processes.

The establishment of this military corridor aims to implement common procedures that will bypass the current bureaucracy regarding the movement of NATO soldiers and military equipment.

The signing of the letter took place on the sidelines of the NATO Summit in Washington, following decisions made at the previous summit in Vilnius in 2023, when allies decided to adopt new defense plans and accelerate military adaptation in response to Russian aggression.

This military adaptation includes the ability to supplement forces and equipment and ensure logistical support by facilitating the cross-border transit of forces and capabilities, even in peacetime.

The project aims to optimize transport corridors to meet military mobility requirements by creating road and rail supply routes between participating states, reducing peacetime bureaucracy, and maximizing efficiency in emergencies and crises, taking into account NATO and national initiatives.

„Close collaboration with Bulgaria and Greece will allow us to respond more effectively to current and future security challenges. We will continue discussions and remain open to other similar initiatives that will strengthen Romania’s role within the North Atlantic Alliance,” said Defense Minister Angel Tîlvăr.

The implementation of the project in Romania will require concerted efforts between various ministries and institutions, according to the Ministry of National Defense (MApN).

According to information available to Greek newspaper Kathimerini, the plan to be signed by the three defense ministers involves the interconnection of four ports and their associated infrastructures and networks. The corridor to be created will link the Greek cities of Thessaloniki and Alexandroupoli with Varna in Bulgaria and Constanța in Romania, four cities that are strategic for the Alliance due to their proximity to NATO’s eastern borders. „All four cities have ports, railways, and road networks that contribute decisively to the resilience and ease of sending allied forces to NATO’s eastern flank,” a high-ranking military source told Kathimerini.