Kiev to let Russian ships in Kerch Strait canal – Ukrainian MFA

24.05.2010 Kiev will continue to pursue Moscow's acknowledgment of former inter-republican border in the Kerch Strait, although ready to guarantee Russia's unobstructed access to the Kerch-Yenikalsky shipping canal, said Konstantin Grishchenko, Ukrainian foreign minister during Governmental Hour in the parliament.

Russia insists there have been no legitimate documents defining boundary in the Kerch Strait, reminded the minister. In its turn, Ukraine refers to available cartographic documents which determine almost entire Kerch-Yenikalsky shipping canal as Ukrainian territorial waters.

"We proceed from the assumption that it is possible to find other tools guaranteeing Russia unobstructed use of this canal; of course, by agreement with Ukraine. We must find such tool, it is the matter of principle", pointed out Grishchenko.

According to him, it is planned to hold 33rd round of negotiations on this issue in June 2010.

The agreement of demarcation tied between Russia and Ukraine on May 17 provides legal basis to demarcate land boundary between the two countries, added Grishchenko.

"Practical demarcation and further signing an agreement regulating Russo-Ukrainian state border will ensure maintaining of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and inviolacy of Ukrainian state border. It will also effectively contribute to preventing illegal migration, smuggling, drug trafficking, and other illegal actions", said the minister in his speech at the parliament.

Grishchenko underlined that the agreement of demarcation had no connection with talks on border delimitation in the Sea of Azov, the Black Sea, and the Kerch Strait.