Romania has attained its strategic goal in the case on drawing a maritime boundary in the Black Sea

 

Bucharest, Feb 3 /Agerpres/ - Romania has attained its strategic goal in the case on drawing a maritime boundary in the Black Sea, namely drawing an equitable line, that should not be prone to interpretation and that allows Romania to begin the exploitation of the hydrocarbon resources in the area assigned it by the solution given by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague on Tuesday, the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a press release.

The ICJ judgment ends a complex bilateral dispute having gone on for 42 years, that could not have been settled by any other means and it stressed the Romanian stand was defended in a professional manner, with all the available arguments and proofs that could back the interests of and the solutions proposed by Romania.

The ICJ solution represents a success of the implementation of international law, and it is a fair and equitable ruling in favour of Romania. The Court ruling recognizes the sovereign jurisdiction and the sovereign rights of Romania - chiefly to exploit the resources - on an area of 9,700 sq km under the Black Sea and an exclusive economic area, i.e. 79.34 percent of the more than 12,000 sq km that were the source of contention with Ukraine (roughly 70 percent of the hydrocarbon reserves thought to be held in the area).

The ruling allows Romania to begin the moves for the direct exploitation of the hydrocarbon reserves in the disputed area that have been assigned by the ICJ to Romania and that have been 'barred' from exploitation so far; the move makes a direct contribution to strengthening Romania's energy independence, which is the more important amid the current European energy context. The ICJ drew the boundary starting from the application of its method of boundary drawing it has developed in tens of years of consolidated jurisprudence, according to the relevant sea law rules, as they were applied by the Court in the particular geographic context of the area.

The Romanian Foreign Ministry reiterates its firm belief that the Court judgment will have a positive bilateral and regional impact, by the example it offers as a way of settling the disagreements in the Black Sea enlarged area. The ministry insisted Romania will observe the ICJ ruling, which is an obligation resulting from the U.N. Charter for both sides in the contentious case. The Romanian Foreign Ministry recalls that the Ukrainian authorities have also repeatedly said they will observe the Court ruling, with the most recent such statement having been made when Romanian Foreign Minister Cristian Diaconescu visited Kiev on this Jan. 23.

The ministry stressed the Court judgment is directly applicable, binding and final and it is to take effect immediately, with no further need of moves meant to enact the ruling either on a domestic level, or international and bilateral level.

The International Court of Justice pronounced on Tuesday, February 3 in public solemn sitting in The Hague its judgment on the case on Drawing a Maritime Boundary in the Black Sea (Romania vs Ukraine). 

This is Judgment No. 100 since the establishment of the ICJ and it was announced by Court president judge Rosalyn Higgins. The original text of the judgment with the ICJ official seal was handed in the Romanian agent at the end of the ceremony.

 

[Sursa: Agenţia Naţională de Presă AGERPRES ]