Ukrainian Ambassador: Black Sea states refuse to cooperate with Russia until the Crimea’s annexation has been repealed
Prior to the de-annexation of the Crimea, the countries of the Black Sea region will not sign any major agreement with Russia in the economic sphere. The former Ukrainian Ambassador to Turkey, Sergiy Korsunsky explained this on Radio Krym.Realii while commenting on the 25th summit of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) held in Istanbul, in which both Ukraine and Russia took part.
"Russian representatives tried to promote a policy. They say, “let's talk about cooperation, let's forget what was done (the issue of the annexation of the Crimea - Ed.), it just happened so.” Of course, they did not achieve anything. It would be absolutely impossible since there are at least three EU countries sitting at the table that support Ukraine and do not recognize the annexation of the Crimea. These countries support our position," Korsunsky said.
During the summit, the Minister of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine, Stepan Kubiv asserted that economic cooperation between Black Sea countries is possible if peace and stability return to the region.
On May 21, Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin said that Russia's aggression and the annexation of the Crimea are preventing trade from developing between the Black Sea countries. The Ukrainian Foreign Minister also noted that Russia's actions undermine the foundations of the BSEC, which are “aimed at turning the region into a zone of peace, stability and prosperity."
According to Klimkin, during the presidency of Ukraine in the BSEC in the next six months, the key issue of the summit will be the development of economic cooperation in the conditions of the security crisis in the Black Sea region.
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev was present at the meeting and he was outraged that the representatives of Ukraine posed to the BSEC member states the issue of the de-annexation of the peninsula.
Medvedev said that the Kremlin is still ready to cooperate with the government in Kyiv. Russia will also work during the Ukrainian presidency of BSEC since this organization is useful, Medvedev said.
Ukraine will head the BSEC from July 1. The rotation period is six months. The member states of the organization are Azerbaijan, Albania, Bulgaria, Armenia, Greece, Georgia, Moldova, Russia, Romania, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine.