Russia, Ukraine talked on Black Sea Fleet servicemen movements in Crimea

28.05.2010 Representatives of Russian and Ukraine foreign ministries discussed a draft agreement related to movements of Russia's Black Sea Fleet (BSF) servicemen in Ukraine out of deployment sites.

The document was considered on Wednesday at the session of Russo-Ukrainian subcommittee for BSF issues, reported Thursday RIA Novosti referring to press service of Sevastopol city administration.

"The draft agreement was put aside for finalizing", said the press service official. According to Sevastopol city administration, Ukrainian party was headed by ambassador-at-large Viktor Semenov; Russia was represented by ambassador-at-large Alexander Bavykin.

Since 2008, Ukrainian law-enforcement agencies interdicted movements of Russian servicemen in Sevastopol and Crimea, fulfilling the decree of the ex-president Yushchenko. Officers of Sevastopol police department stopped Russian sailors ether walking or driving BSF transport, and checked documents confirming legality of their stay in Ukraine.

In summer 2009 officers of Ukrainian traffic police despite extremely hot weather almost 24 hours held a bus with 30 BSF marines at a checkpoint in Crimean town of Feodosiya. Consequently, one of BSF servicemen got heat stroke.

Current president of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovich holding the office since Feb 2010 promised to settle a BSF issue without prejudice to "strategic friendly relations with Russia"; deployment term of BSF in Crimea was extended till 2042 with potential prolongation.

According to Sevastopol city administration, on May 28 there will be a session of working group on environmental matters which also subordinates to Russo-Ukrainian subcommittee for BSF issues. The topic will be execution of Ukraine's environmental legislation by Russian mariners.