The Ukrainians Finished their Channel

In two weeks time, the first ships will be able to sail on the new Danube - Black Sea channel that belongs to the Ukrainians. The dragging on the Bistroe branch has been finalized. There are a few more details to be taken care of in order that, on the 1st of September, the Ukrainian channel will be good to use.

The protests are more fierce, and, more than that, the Romanian experts have emphasized the idea of a new channel in the Romanian side of the branch in order to prevent the ecological disaster the Ukrainian plan would start, but it wasn’t enough. Kiev seems to be deaf. On contrary, they announce without any embarrassment, that they have practically finished the dragging on the Bistroie branch and that on the 1st of September they will initiate the Danube - Black Sea channel.

LOOKING FOR CLIENTS. "The amplitude works are finished on Bistroie. We are negotiating with potential clients and potential navigation operators in Ukraine, Russia and Kazakhstan, and with companies and firms in this segment from other states as well", stated yesterday for the Interfax agency, the bureau in Kiev, Viktor Bezdolnii, the director of the Ukrainian state company Delta-Losman. The Kiev press sustains that the German company Mobius cleaned the Bistroie channel, so that it would be good for use. In a total, 85% of the works have been finalized.

THE FINAL DETAILS. There are a few details to be taken care of. The Ukrainian authorities really believe that on the 1st of September the first ships will sale on the Bistroie channel. According to the Ministry of Transports, the new navigation way will attract 60% of the ships traffic in the Danube Delta. The project has been criticized by the USA, UNESCO and numerous ecologist organizations, besides Romania, saying that this will destroy the Delta, due to the pollution. The Channel practically goes a few miles inside the Delta. Kiev reasoned this channel by saying that they do not wish the Ukrainian ships to pass through the Sulina branch and pay taxes anymore.

KIEV RESPONDS TO SCHRODER

Ukraine rejected yesterday the warning, which came a day before from the German chancellor Gerhard Schroder concerning the building projects for the Bistroie channel, in the protected reservation of the Danube Delta. According to the Ukrainian authorities, the German chancellor is "misinformed" in what concerns the construction of the Bistroie channel. He warned Ukraine about this construction, since there is no study of the impact on the environment. According to Schroder, this area represents "a very fragile ecosystem in Europe and it is obvious that such a channel cannot be built unless an international analysis of its impact on the environment will be made. If this happens in any other way we can talk about irresponsibility".

The works on this channel have been assigned to a company in Hamburg, admitted the German chancellor, emphasizing that, according to the Public finances Administration, the Government he leads "cannot stop the involvement of this company in this project". (Marina Constantinoiu)