Russia Black Sea Fleet to remain in Ukraine until 2017 – Ivanov
26.04.2005, 16.03
MOSCOW, April 26l 26 (Itar-Tass) - Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov said the Russian Black Sea Fleet would remain in Ukraine until 2017.
“If your talk about the Black Sea Fleet, we have agreed to continue the work on details of the basic accords of 1997 with an understanding that the Russian Black Sea Fleet will be based in the Crimea and will continue its activity,” Ivanov told reporters after his talks with Ukrainian counterpart Anatoly Gritsenko in Moscow on Tuesday.
He was asked whether the Black Sea Fleet violated any accords with Ukraine.
“As concerns some violations, they can be only when there are clear regulations as to what such violations are,” Ivanov said.
He said “many questions have not found any solution at all in the 1997 accords, and “we have given orders on finalisation of the accords”.
This also concerns inspections of naval facilities and the resumption of live fire practices and missile launches at a testing ground near Feodosia.
“Under the accord, it is Russian, many types of weapons, including those manufactured at enterprises of the Ukrainian industry, are tested there,” Ivanov said.
He stressed that Russia did not make a decision to speed up the construction of infrastructure facilities for the Black Sea Fleet on its territory.
“We don’t have any decisions on acceleration, we have a programme of building a site of basing of the Black Sea Fleet in Novorossiisk”.
“The ten-year programme has already begun to be implemented,” Ivanov said.
He added that the presence of the Black Sea Fleet in the Crimea fetched “certain material profits to Ukraine: in particular, the budget of Sevastopol is 60 percent formed by the Russian rouble”. http://itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=1976319&PageNum=0
Acknowledgement: All available information and documents in "Justice For North Caucasus Group" is provided for the "fair use". There should be no intention for ill-usage of any sort of any published item for commercial purposes and in any way or form. JFNC is a nonprofit group and has no intentions for the distribution of information for commercial or advantageous gain. At the same time consideration is ascertained that all different visions, beliefs, presentations and opinions will be presented to visitors and readers of all message boards of this site. Providing, furnishing, posting and publishing the information of all sources is considered a right to freedom of opinion, speech, expression, and information while at the same time does not necessarily reflect, represent, constitute, or comprise the stand or the opinion of this group. If you have any concerns contact us directly at:
eagle@JusticeForNorthCaucasus.com