Zerkal reveals details of hearing at PAC behind closed doors

10.06.2019 17:40

Ukrinform

The Permanent Court of Arbitration has started to hold hearings in the arbitration Concerning Coastal State Rights in the Black Sea, Sea of Azov, and Kerch Strait, instituted by Ukraine against Russia.

Today, Russia presented its arguments. Only the opening part of the statement by a Russian representative was open to the public. The hearing behind the closed doors was initiated by the Russian Federation.

Olena Zerkal, the Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine, the agent of Ukraine in the case of Ukraine v. the Russian Federation, said this in a commentary to an Ukrinform correspondent in The Hague.

According to her, Russia's representatives argued that Crimea had changed its territorial belonging in 2014.

"Russia presented its objections, saying that Crimea changed its territorial belonging in 2014 after the referendum [on accession to Russia] had been held. They also stated that Russia regards the entire activity in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov as the military activity and, therefore, it is not a subject to this convention [United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea]," she said.

Zerkal also said that Russia assured that the court had no jurisdiction, which means no right, to consider the case that Ukraine had instituted against the Russian Federation.

The opening statement of Ukraine will be delivered on Tuesday, 11 June 2019, at 10 a.m. (CEST)

"We are going to pull Russia’s arguments to bits, as we always do," the Ukrainian deputy foreign minister emphasized.

She added that there was no reason to believe that Crimea had changed its jurisdiction and did not belong to Ukraine anymore.

As reported, on June 10-14, the Permanent Court of Arbitration holds hearings on the preliminary objections of the Russian Federation in the arbitration Concerning Coastal State Rights in the Black Sea, Sea of Azov, and Kerch Strait, instituted by Ukraine against Russia.

The arbitral proceedings were instituted on 16 September 2016 when Ukraine served on the Russian Federation a Notification and Statement of Claim1 under Annex VII to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (“UNCLOS”).