Ukraine blocks Russia's chairmanship of Black Sea Protection Commission

This was reported by Ukraine’s Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources on Telegram, as cited by Ukrinform.

"The Ukrainian side believes that the aggressor country, which has been waging war against Ukraine as a party to the Convention on the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution, and whose actions have hindered the fulfillment of the Convention and the Strategic Action Plan for the Black Sea, cannot chair such an international institution as the Black Sea Commission. We urge the Commission members to support our position and take all necessary measures to prevent similar cases of armed aggression in the future," emphasized Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources Olena Kramarenko during her speech at the meeting.

The Commission on the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution is the governing body of the Convention on the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution, with member countries including Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Turkey, Ukraine, and Russia. It serves as an international platform for regional cooperation on the conservation and restoration of the Black Sea ecosystem, promoting the sustainable use of marine natural resources and landscapes.

The commission’s primary objectives include protecting the Black Sea marine environment from land-based pollution, preserving the sea's biological and landscape diversity, and combating pollution from oil and other harmful substances in emergency situations.

It was noted that the Ukrainian delegation successfully blocked the transfer of the chairmanship from Romania to Russia, which was set to occur at the end of the session.

Previously, on September 25, the General Assembly of the Association of Mediterranean Ombudsmen held an extraordinary meeting and decided to exclude the Russian ombudsman from its ranks.