Danube Commission Stops Russia's Powers In Organization - Infrastructure Ministry

The Danube Commission stopped Russia's powers in the organization.

The Ministry of Infrastructure announced this in a statement, Ukrainian News Agency reports.

According to the statement, on March 17, the Danube Commission at an extraordinary session adopted a resolution in connection with the military aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine in violation of the basic principles of the Belgrade Convention.

"The Commission condemned the violation of the principles of free and safe navigation on the Danube, as well as the interests and sovereign rights of Ukraine. Russia is responsible for economic damage due to a decrease in cargo turnover in the Danube Delta and in the Black Sea due to military dangers," the statement says.

The adopted resolution provides:

- the powers of any representative of Russia in the Danube Commission or his deputies are rejected until the restoration of peace, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders;
- representatives of Russia are suspended from all meetings of the Danube Commission and its working bodies;
- Russian citizens will be dismissed from diplomatic and administrative-technical positions of the Secretariat of the Danube Commission;
- an appeal to the Belgrade Convention Revision Committee to find solutions on whether Russia, as a non-Danubian state, can continue to be a party to the Convention.
The Ministry of Infrastructure added that since the beginning of the 90s, the Ukrainian delegation to the Danube Commission has actively opposed the membership of Russia as the legal successor of the Soviet Union, which is not a Danubian state.
However, this did not find understanding and support of partners.
In 2021, for the first time, a representative of Ukraine, namely the Ambassador of Ukraine to Hungary, Liubov Nepop, became the head of the Danube Commission.
At the initiative of the Ministry of Infrastructure and the decision of the head of the Danube Commission, the 12th extraordinary session was convened, within which unprecedented decisions were made that could not be achieved since the 90s.
As Ukrainian News Agency reported, earlier the International Union of Railways suspended the Russian and Belarusian railways from participating in the organization until the peaceful situation in Ukraine returns.
The Danube Commission regulates navigation on the Danube and deals with legal and environmental issues related to the Danube.

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