The Arbitration Tribunal in The Hague is considering a case of violation by Russia of the UN Maritime Convention. Ukraine asks to oblige Russia to dismantle the illegally built Kerch Bridge.
Edition “European Truth” quotes speech at the hearing of the deputy agent of Ukraine in court Oksana Zolotareva:
“Russia illegally built this bridge and now it must remove it to allow passage through the Kerch Strait in accordance with international law. Russia must do this in accordance with other UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) obligations to protect the marine environment and underwater cultural heritage”.
According to the Ukrainian representative, dismantling the bridge is the only way to restore passage for ships from all countries that have used the strait in the past, and ships that will use the strait in the future:
“We ask this tribunal to say to Russia: 'Enough is enough'. We ask you to implement the vision of the Convention on the Law of the Sea. We ask you to respect the legal rules of the world's oceans, designed to protect the common interests of all humanity.”
According to Zolotareva, Russia must also provide guarantees that it will not repeat its violations in the future:
“Russia must obtain a tribunal decision to remove the consequences of its illegal actions by releasing and canceling its registration of the Ukrainian drilling rigs that it illegally seized and whose flag it changed. It is necessary that the Russian Federation receive an order to conduct appropriate studies on the impact of Russian construction projects in the Kerch Strait on the marine environment Russia must also be forced to take action to address the environmental damage caused by these projects and to examine the ongoing risks of environmental damage.”
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