Turkey, Romania, and Bulgaria plan to sign an agreement in January on a joint plan to clear mines floating in the Black Sea as a result of the war in Ukraine, Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler said on Saturday after months of talks between the NATO allies, Reuters reported.

Speaking to reporters in Ankara, Guler said the Trilateral Initiative would only include Turkey, Romania and Bulgaria for now, with their defense ministers planning a signing ceremony in Istanbul on January 11.

"Because of the Ukrainian-Russian war, mines are planted in both Ukrainian and Russian ports. Sometimes they ... reach our straits because of the currents," Guler told reporters.

"Our mine clearance vessels will carry out constant patrols to the point where Romania's (maritime) borders end," he added.

Black Sea states Turkey, Romania, and Bulgaria met with officials from Georgia, Poland, and Ukraine in April 2022 to discuss demining after the outbreak of war in Ukraine.

Defense ministers from the three countries also held talks on the plan at a NATO meeting in Brussels in October and in Ankara last month, working to finalize the initiative.