The agenda of the Sevastopol meeting included discussions of military and political issues related to the presence of the Russian Fleet at the Black Sea as well as navigation and environmental security.
Photo: Alexey Kudenko
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Russia Changes Signs and Plates at Military Bases at the Black Sea
Sevastopol hosted a session of the Russian-Ukrainian commission on the Russian Black Sea Fleet on Friday, the first one after Kiev has hardened its stance on the Black Sea issue. This rigid position apparently means that Ukraine wants to show its adherence to the NATO orientation despite low gas prices it has recently secured from Russia.
Russia has confirmed its plans to hand over lighthouses to Ukraine only in 2017 when the Black Sea Fleet treaty expires, a member of the Ukrainian delegation reported. Ukraine, however, insists that the lighthouse issue be settled by another treaty. Ukraine has tried to back up its stance at court. A court of appeal in Sevastopol ruled to return 77 lighthouses in the Sevastopol area to Ukraine. Moscow, however, thinks this court has no competence to decide on Black Sea Fleet-related issues.
Russia agreed Friday to take away the phrase “Territory of Russia” from signs at military units of the Black Sea Fleet, Ukraine’s Vladimir Ogryzko reported. The signs will now say that this is property of Ukraine which Russian rents until the definite period.
Ukraine also insists that Russia waves its flag only at the headquarters of the Black Fleet.
On Tuesday, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin said Russia is willing to negotiate prolongation of the Black Sea deployment in Ukraine after 2017. Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko, however, responded guaranteeing adherence to the treaty that keeps Russia in the region till 2017 but noted that the Ukrainian constitution does not provide for presence of military bases of foreign states on its territory.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Oct. 28, 2006
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