vImpudence - Ukraine Accuses Us of Cutting Their Water Off

Kiev believes that issues like Bistroe or the continental plateau and the exclusive areas in the Black Sea are normal things to happen in the relationship with Romania. They are so normal that they threaten us with informing the international conventions.

The Ukraine ambassador in Bucharest, Teofil Bauer, believes that the relationship between Romania and his native country is in excellent condition and that, like in any other similar circumstances, there are small unsolved problems. This is approximately the way Bauer sees the stress between Bucharest and Kiev caused by the initiation of the Bistroe channel and by the informing made by Romania at the International Court of Justice in Hague concerning the assignation of the continental plateau and of the exclusive economical areas belonging to the two countries in the Black Sea.

HE SEES… Yesterday the ambassador called in the Romanian press in order to communicate his notes on the 10th of September from the Bistroe channel. "Most of the participants in this trip have been satisfied and made their mind about the inexistence of some serious grounds for the supposed negative impact of this channel upon the environment. (…) The Romanian ambassador in Kiev was one of the participants and, as I see it, also agreed with the correct actions of Ukraine concerning the reinnovation of the channel", said Bauer to us.

WARNING. The official considers that the negotiations with Romania should continue. If not, it doesn’t matter. "Ukraine is ready" to face a law-suit, emphasized the ambassador. But Kiev reacts a little non-diplomatic to this minor problem. The informing of the Court in Hague is "politically motivated and is related to the incoming elections", say the Ukrainians. They "reserve their right of informing the international conventions about the impact upon the Ukrainian side of the Danube of some uncoordinated actions belonging to their neighbor, in whose territory an artificial distribution of the water in the Ukraine’s disadvantage is taking place".

Moreover, they say that Romania is the one who has to prove that the Isle of the Snakes is a rock and not a livable place. Asked about the island’s birth rate, its electricity and water supplies, data needed in order to prove it is a livable place, Bauer answered: "I have never been on the Isle of the Snakes!".

WHAT BEACONS?

We wanted Bauer to inform us about the Ukrainian beacons from the Romanian bank of the Danube, saying that images with these have appeared in Jurnalul National (photo) as a proof. Our surprise came when the ambassador told us he doesn’t now anything about any beacons. "I don’t know what you’re talking about", said the official. However, Bauer told us that a Romanian - Ukrainian commission is to be initiated in order to take care of problems like this one, giving us enough reasons to believe he is not a stranger to these beacons. We have also asked why he believes Europe has reacted so critically, demanding the stopping of the works at the Bistroe channel. "Europe’s reaction is exaggerated", answered the official.