INFOTERRA: FWD: Ukraine misinforms other countries and international comunity
From: "pecheneg" <pecheneg@ic.kharkov.ua>
To: "Danube-Roman" <Danube-Roman@seu.ru>, "Biodv_camp" <Biodv_camp@seu.ru>
Date: Wed, 28 Jul 2004 11:59:12 +0400
Subject: [biodv_camp] Ukraine misinforms other countries and international
community concerning the construction of canal Danube-Black Sea
Statement
UKRAINE MISINFORMS OTHER COUNTRIES AND INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY CONCERNING THE
CONSTRUCTION
OF CANAL DANUBE-BLACK SEA
Violation of international obligations by Ukraine during the construction of
deep-water
shipping canal Danube-Black Sea through Bystre branch in Danube biosphere
reserve have
lead to the numerous complaints from other countries and international
community.
The government of Ukraine, from one side is hoping to get status of the
EU
neighboring country and simultaneously proceeds with the implementation of
this
inadmissible for civilized country project. As the answer to official
protests Ukrainian
authorities openly misinforms other about their activities.
It's worth mentioning that in the letter of ad interim Minister of
international
relations of Ukraine V. Yelchenko addressed to the Prime Minister of Ukraine
V. Yanykovich
he suggested: "with the aim to explain the justification of the position of
Ukraine
concerning the necessity of construction of navigation canal and to prevent
the creation
of negative image of our state at the international arena in this context we
suggest: to
authorize Ministry of environment, Ministry of transport, State committee on
radio and TV
to conduct necessary public awareness efforts among Mass Media".
- Ukrainian officials stated on several occasions that Ukraine don't erect
new shipping
canal in Bystre branch but renew existing one.
These statements are absolutely not true: Bystre branch never served as
shipping
canal, neither before 1956, nor before the beginning of 1990. Only small
fishing vessels
with draught 1,5 - 2,0 m used it.
- It was alleged several times that objections against the construction of
shipping canal
through Bystre branch violate the right of Ukraine to renew the shipping on
its sovereign
territory.
These allegations are also groundless, as the variant of canal through
the Bystre
branch was not the only possible one. There are two economically and
ecologically sounded
alternative variants of shipping canal through Stensovsko-Zhebryanskaya sand
belt or
through Ochakivsky branch. The Ministry of transport and the Ministry of
environment are
persistently sabotaging the consideration of the alternative variants.
- Ukrainian officials stated that public doesn't list specific international
agreements,
violated by Ukraine during the construction of canal, as there are no
violations of any
agreements.
We want to list now the conventions, violated by Ukraine during the
process of canal
construction through Bystre branch: Convention on Conservation of Migratory
Species (Bonn
CMS Convention), African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA),
Convention on
Cooperation for the Protection and Sustainable Use of the Danube River (Danube
convention), Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary
Context
(Espoo Convention), Convention on Wetlands of International Importance
especially as
Waterfowl Habitat (Ramsar Convention); Convention on Access to Information,
Public
Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental
Matters (Aarhus
Convention), Agreement between Government of Romania and Government of
Ukraine on
Cooperation in Management of Boundary Waters.
4. It was alleged that this project doesn't disturb ecological balance of
delta and is
ecologically safe.
These allegations are negated by the death of thousands of terns' chicks
in the eggs
on Ptichya (the Bird) spit near the Bystroe estuary in the mid July. The
noise from
operating dredging vessels caused the death of birds.
Actually, the construction of shipping canal through Bystre branch
notwithstanding with
the official allegations from Kiev:
- Leads to the destruction of natural area, part of World heritage and
unique in its
global aspect;
- Posses the threat of possible international isolation of Ukraine;
- Hampers the renewal of shipping on the Ukrainian part of Danube Delta.
If our Ministry of transport and Ministry of environment, instead of lobbying
the
interests of close circle of businessmen and politicians, had been really
concerned about
the renewal of shipping, economic prosperity of that region and about the
welfare of its
population, preservation of natural complexes of Danube Delta, they would
have considered
ecologically and economically sounded alternatives of shipping canal in
Danube Delta.
In this case, we are confident that its possible to renew the shipping,
load
Ukrainian ports with work - without violating of national legislation by
Ukraine, without
involvement of Ukraine into international scandal and without posing threat
to the
existence of Danube biosphere reserve.
We consider the reason of the scandal around the construction of the
shipping canal
Danube-Black Sea lies in flouting of the law by Ukrainian authorities, but
not because of
the active environmental public.
We are responsible only for delivering to you true political situation
in Ukraine.
Shaparenko Sergey, President of the Council Environmental Group "Pechenegy"
21. 07. 04
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