Ukraine prepares UN draft resolution on Russia’s militarization of the Azov and Black Seas
Ukraine’s Foreign Affairs Ministry announced that Ukraine is working on a draft resolution on Russia’s militarization of the Black Sea and Azov Sea, UNIAN reports. According to the Foreign Ministry, the UN General Assembly is expected to consider it in December.
“This issue won’t be considered in the committee but is expected to be reviewed within the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly in December,” said Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Kateryna Zelenko.
In December, the UN General Assembly should consider and approve two separate resolutions: on violations of human rights in the Crimea and the militarization of the Black and Azov seas.
Earlier, the EU brought to Russia’s attention the need to stop the “excessive inspections” of ships in the Sea of Azov, which have directly led to the revenues of the Ukrainian ports of Mariupol and Berdyansk to be decreased by more than a third. As the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, not a single treaty provision of the treaty on the joint use of the Sea of Azoм gives Russia the right to carry out discriminatory and lengthy inspections of vessels going to Ukrainian ports.
On October 12, President Petro Poroshenko approved the decision of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine [NSDC] on the protection of national interests in the Black and Azov Seas and in the Kerch Strait. The decision of the NSDC provides for the deployment of military units on the Azov coast.