Ukrainian deputy foreign minister Volodimir Handoghii, in an interview with Agerpres said that the Ukrainian authorities are working with international institutions to solve the problem of the Bastroe Channel, in the Danube Delta. Romania opposes Ukraine's intention to construct a navigable waterway on the Bâstroe channel, right through a natural reserve. ''We have been working with international institutions on the Bastroe-related issue and we hope we'll manage to solve this problem. We are also discussing with our Romanian counterparts.
I believe this aspect will be resolved within a multilateral format, in keeping with the international conventions," Volodimir Handoghii said. The Romanian Foreign Ministry (MAE) believes that Ukraine does not have the right to make any kind of works on Bastroe at present. The MAE has already asked the Ukrainian Embassy in Bucharest to confirm a possible intention to complete construction works on the dam located where the Bastroe arm flows into the Black Sea.
The Romanian authorities' move is based on the fact that Ukraine is not allowed to complete any works or conduct maintenance works until the stipulations of the international laws in the environment protection field are met. On September 9, 2008, a procedure stipulated by the Espoo Convention as regards the assessment of the impact on environment in border areas was initiated.
According to the Convention, Ukraine is not allowed to conduct any works while the procedure is under way. The Ukrainian authorities have to submit, by February 28, a report on the stage of the Bastroe channel project. The Espoo committee is to analyze the project in March. Volodimir Handoghii has paid a two-day visit to Bucharest, for consultations with Romanian experts on his country's accession to NATO.
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