Ukraine’s Attempts To Exclude Russia From BlackSeaFor Fail — Milita

UKRAINE’S ATTEMPTS TO EXCLUDE RUSSIA FROM BLACKSEAFOR FAIL — MILITARY SOURCE

Russia
July 18, 13:14 UTC+4
The Black Sea Naval Force was created in early 2001 on the initiative
of Turkey with the participation of other littoral states – Bulgaria,
Romania, Ukraine, Russia and Georgia

Ukraine to initiate Russia’s expulsion from BLACKSEAFOR MOSCOW, July
18. /ITAR-TASS/. Ukraine’s attempts to exclude Russia from the Black
Sea Naval Force (BlackSeaFor) have failed, a military source has said.

“The Kiev authorities’ attempts to garner the BlackSeaFor
member-countries’ support for its anti-Russian initiative failed. No
BlackSeaFor state has upheld this initiative,” the source told
ITAR-TASS on Friday.

“From May to June the Ukrainian authorities were sending their envoys
to Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey and Georgia for holding talks with their
military and political leaders. Ukraine’s staff in Sofia, Bucharest,
Ankara and Tbilisi were running around government offices. However,
the attempts were vain,” it said.

“The BlackSeaFor countries’ position was to preserve status quo, i.e.

the existing format with Russia’s participation. Ukraine was informed
about the BlackSeaFor member-states’ view to freeze the organisation’s
activity until the situation in Ukraine normalises,” the source said.

The Black Sea Naval Force was created in early 2001 on the initiative
of Turkey with the participation of other littoral states – Bulgaria,
Romania, Ukraine, Russia and Georgia. The founding agreement was
signed in Istanbul on April 2, 2001.

The BlackSeaFor’s purpose is to promote security and stability in
the Black Sea maritime area and beyond, to strengthen friendly and
good-neighbourly relations, and increase interoperability among the
member-states.

From: Baghdasarian