Hearings on Russia's violation of Law of the Sea Convention begin in The Hague

Hearings on the merits of Ukraine's claim against the Russian Federation over the violation of the rights of the coastal state under the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea kicked off in the building of the Peace Palace in The Hague, the Netherlands, at 10:00 local time.

The hearings will address the merits, jurisdictional and remaining admissibility issues, according to Ukrinform's correspondent in The Hague.

Ukraine will be the first to speak in court. Ambassador-at-Large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Anton Korynevych is representing Ukraine.

The Russian side is present in the courtroom. Russia will be the second to speak today. Russian representative Gennady Kuzmin will have the floor.

The opening and closing statements of the parties are public. Journalists were allowed to take photos and videos at the beginning of the hearings. Then the journalists were moved to the press center, where the open parts of the hearings are broadcast live.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, the hearing on the merits of Ukraine's lawsuit against Russia will be held from September 23 to October 5, 2024 in the hall of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Peace Palace, The Hague, Netherlands.

On September 14, 2016, Ukraine initiated a separate proceeding against the Russian Federation regarding the violation of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and sought to confirm Ukraine's rights in the Black Sea, the Sea of Azov, and the Kerch Strait through an arbitration procedure.

In May 2017, the first meeting of the tribunal under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea took place, where an arbitration was established to consider the dispute between Ukraine and the Russian Federation. The memorandum, that is, a package of evidence showing that Russia violates the sovereign rights of Ukraine in the Black Sea, the Sea of Azov, and the Kerch Strait, was filed with the Permanent Chamber of the Arbitration Court in The Hague on February 19, 2018. Russia submitted to the International Tribunal its objections to the jurisdiction.