Ukraine to Propose Russia's Ouster from Black Sea Naval Force- Report

Ukraine is expected to propose that Russia be excluded from the Black Sea Naval Force (BLACKSEAFOR) at a high-level sitting of experts to be held in Bulgaria.

The step was announced by a source familiar with military and diplomatic affairs in Moscow, according to reports of ITAR-TASS and the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency (BTA).

The meeting is supposed to take place in Bulgaria's Black Sea city of Varna in mid-May.

The BLACKSEAFOR naval cooperation task group was created in early 2001 on initiative of Turkey, with the participation of all other Black Sea littoral states, namely Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Russia and Georgia.