Bohdan USTYMENKO,
M.J., Attorney at Law

Tetiana USTYMENKO,
S.J.D., professor,
Department of Civil Law and Procedure
National Academy of Internal Affairs

From the editors of BlackSeaNews

On 7 December 2021, the interdepartmental working group chaired by Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council (NSDC) of Ukraine Oleksiy Danilov completed work on the draft Maritime Security Strategy of Ukraine, a document initiated by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky.

The strategy was developed taking into account the current experience of the world's leading maritime powers, the positions of maritime law scholars, the proposals of 16 government agencies, independent experts, and business associations. The working group members approved the draft, and the final text of the document, after coordination of some positions, was sent to the President of Ukraine and members of the NSDC of Ukraine.

The strategy took into account a lot of proposals aimed at solving problems that had been repeatedly addressed in the publications by BlackSeaNews authors. Therefore, the editorial board has decided to create a concise and clear reference work based on the contributions from our authors, which looks at the terminology and problems related to maritime security and provides expert explanations.

Contents

(1) The State Border of Ukraine at Sea

(2) The Contiguous Zone

(3) The Exclusive Economic Zone and the Continental Shelf

(4) Ukraine's Maritime Borders With Turkey and Romania

(5) Ukraine's Maritime Borders With the Russian Federation

(6) "Historical Waters" of the Sea of ​​Azov and the Kerch Strait

(7) "Internal Waters" and Borders in the Sea of ​​Azov and the Kerch Strait

(8) The Tuzla Island Conflict and the Agreement Under Duress

(9) The Delimitation of the Sea of ​​Azov and the Kerch Strait According to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea

(10). What Mandatory Procedure for the Delimitation of the Maritime Border Between Ukraine and Russia Can Be Adopted

(11) Foreign Military Exercises in the Exclusive Economic Zone of Ukraine

(12) The Legal Aspects of Hydrocarbon Extraction in the Exclusive Economic Zone of Ukraine

(13) The Prohibition Against Vessels and Ships Entering the 12-Mile Zone of the Crimean Peninsula

(14) Threats of Maritime Formats Involving the Russian Federation

(15) Necessary Legal Measures Ukraine Should Take

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The Maritime Border Between Ukraine and Russia

The maritime border between Ukraine and the Russian Federation in the Azov Sea, Kerch Strait and the Black Sea has not been established at all.

The parties have signed and ratified the Agreement between Ukraine and the Russian Federation on cooperation in the use of the Azov Sea and the Kerch Strait.

The first paragraph of Article 1 of the Treaty states that historically, the Azov Sea and the Kerch Strait are internal waters of Ukraine and the Russian Federation — an obviously absurd claim, since as clearly confirmed by Article 8 of the Convention, internal waters may belong to no more than one state.

Furthermore, Article 8 stipulates that only waters on the landward side of the baseline of the territorial sea form the state’s internal waters.

Therefore, the Azov Sea and the Kerch Strait are not and cannot possibly be considered internal waters.

In the second paragraph of Article 1 of the Treaty, Ukraine and the Russian Federation have determined that the Sea of Azov is demarcated by a state border in accordance with an agreement between the Parties. However, as of May 2020, Ukraine and the Russian Federation have not demarcated the Azov Sea borderline.

At present, protection of Ukraine’s temporary conditional, i.e. not established in accordance with the prescriptions of international maritime law, border with the Russian Federation is enforced on the basis of the President of Ukraine’s Decree On Protection of the State Border of Ukraine in the Azov and Black Seas and Kerch Strait and Ukraine’s Rights in the Exclusive (Marine) Economic Zone and the Continental Shelf in the Northeast Part of the Black Sea.

The decree establishes that pending an agreement between Ukraine and the Russian Federation on the delimitation of the state border in the Azov and Black Seas and the Kerch Strait and establishing the delimitation line of exclusive (marine) economic zones and the continental shelf in the northeastern part of the Black Sea, the State Committee in Affairs for Protection the State Border in cooperation with other central executive authorities is obligated to protect the state border in the Sea of Azov, the Black Sea and the Kerch Strait, as well as the rights of Ukraine in the exclusive (marine) economic zone and the continental shelf in the northeastern part of the Black Sea along the lines determined by the President of Ukraine.

All of the above leads to the obvious conclusion that Ukraine must promptly take all the measures prescribed by international law to establish a maritime border with the Russian Federation. 

In particular, we consider it expedient to examine the possibility of Ukraine applying the "compulsory" conciliation procedure provided for in Article 298, paragraph 1 (a), paragraph 1 and section 2 of Annex V to the Convention.

Finally, given the absence of applicable Ukrainian laws on the internal waters and territorial sea, we believe it crucial for the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to adopt them as soon as possible.

To be continued...

References:

1. Pro zatverdzhennya Morskoi doktryny Ukrainy na period do 2035 roku: Postanova Cabinetu Ministriv Ukrainy vid 07.10.2009, № 1307. (On Approving the Maritime Doctrine of Ukraine for the Period up to 2035: Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine from October 7, 2009, #1307).
URL: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/1307-2009-%D0%BF.

2. Yoshifumi Tanaka, The International Law of the Sea, third edition (Cambridge University Press, 2019). – p. 554.

3. Konventsiia Organizatsii Ob`yednannykh Natsii z morskogo prava vid 10.12.1982, ratyfikovana Zakonom Ukrainy «Pro ratyfikatsiyu Konventsiia Organizatsii Ob`yednannykh Natsii z morskogo prava 1982 roku ta Ugody pro implementatsiyu Chastyny XI Konventsii Organizatsii Ob`yednannykh Natsii z morskogo prava 1982 roku» № 728-XIV vid 03.06.1999 // Vidomosti Verkhovnoii Rady Ukrainy. – 1999, № 31, stattya 254 (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of December 10, 1982, ratified by the Law of Ukraine "On Ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 1982 and the Implementation Agreement for Part XI of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982" # 728-XIV from June 3, 1999, Bulletin of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, 1999, #31, article 254).

4. Кratkoye izlozheniye resheniy, konsultativnykh zaklyuchenii i postanovleniy Mezhdunarodnogo Suda 2008-2012 (Summary of Judgments, Advisory Opinions and Orders of the International Court of Justice 2008-2012), UN, New York, 2014.
URL: https://www.icj-cij.org/files/summaries/summaries-2008-2012-ru.pdf - p. 85.

5. Constitutsiya Ukrainy vid 28.06.1996 // Vidomosti Verkhovnoii Rady Ukrainy.- 1996, № 30, stattya 141. (The Constitution of Ukraine of June 28, 1996, Bulletin of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, 1996, #30, article 141).

6. Pro derzhavnyi kordon Ukrainy: Zakon Ukrainy vid 04.11.1991 // Vidomosti Verkhovnoii Rady Ukrainy. - 1992, № 2, stattya 5 (On the State Border of Ukraine: Law of Ukraine of November 4, 1991, Bulletin of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, 1992, #2, Article 5).

7. Pro pryleglu zonu Ukrainy: Zakon Ukrainy vid 06.12.2018 р. // Ofitsiinyi visnyk Ukrainy.- 2019, № 4, stor. 11, stattya 105 (On the Contiguous Zone of Ukraine: Law of Ukraine from December 6, 2018, Official Bulletin of Ukraine, 2019, # 4, p. 11, Article 105). 

8. Pro vyklyuchnu morsku (economichnu) zonu: Zakon Ukrainy vid 16.05.1995 р. // Vidomosti Verkhovnoii Rady Ukrainy. - 1995, № 21, stattya 152 (On the Exclusive (Marine) Economic Zone: Law of Ukraine of May 16, 1995, Bulletin of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, 1995, #21, Article 152).

9. Gospodarkyi kodeks Ukrainy від 16.01.2003 // Ofitsiinyi visnyk Ukrainy.- 2003, № 11, stor. 303, stattya 462 (The Economic Code of Ukraine of January 16, 2003 , Official Bulletin of Ukraine, 2003, #11, p. 303, Article 462).

10. Ugoda mizh Uryadom Ukrainy і Uryadom Respubliky Turechchina pro kordon economichnykh (morskykh) zon Ukrainy і Respubliky Turechchina vid 30.05.1994 (Agreement between the Government of Ukraine and the Government of the Republic of Turkey on the Border of Economic (Marine) Zones of Ukraine and the Republic of Turkey of 30 May 1994).
URL: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/792_008.

11. Dogovir pro vidnosyny dobrosusidstva і spivrobitnytstva mizh Ukrainoyu ta Rumuniyeyu vid 02.06.1997, ratyfikovanyi 17.07.1997 (Agreement on Good Neighborly Relations and Cooperation between Ukraine and Romania of June 2, 1997, ratified on July 17, 1997).
URL: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/642_003 .

12. Кratkoye izlozheniye resheniy, konsultativnykh zaklyuchenii i postanovleniy Mezhdunarodnogo Suda 2008-2012 (Summary of Judgments, Advisory Opinions and Orders of the International Court of Justice 2008-2012), UN, New York, 2014.
URL: https://www.icj- cij.org/files/summaries/summaries-2008-2012-ru.pdf. – p. 69.

13. Dogovir mizh Ukrainoyu ta Rosiiskoyu Federatsiyeyu pro spivrobitnytstvo u vykorystanni Azovskogo morya і Kerchenskoi protoky vid 24.12.2003 (Agreement Between Ukraine and the Russian Federation on Cooperation in the Use of the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait of December 24, 2003).
URL: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/643_205.

14. Rozporyadzhennya Prezidenta Ukrainy «Pro vnesennya zmin do Rozporyadzhennya Prezidenta Ukrainy vid 6 zhovntya 1998 roku № 515 «Pro okhoronu derzhavnogo kordonu Ukrainy v Azovskomu ta Chormonu moryakh і Kerchenskyi prototsi ta zabespechennya prav Ukrainy u vyklyuchniy (morskiy) economichniy zoni ta contynentalnomu shelfi u pivnichno-skhidniy chastyni Chornogo morya» vid 6 serpnya 1999 roku № 187/99-rp (Decree of the President of Ukraine On Amendments to the President of Ukraine’s Decree #515 of October 6, 1998 «On Protection of the State Border of Ukraine in the Azov and Black Seas and the Kerch Strait and the Protection of Rights of Ukraine in the Exclusive (Marine) Economic Zone and Continental Shelf in the North-East part of the Black Sea» from August 6, 1999, #187/99-rp).
URL: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/187/99-%D1%80%D0%BF.

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This publication has been produced with the support of the European Endowment for Democracy (EED). Its contents do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of EED. Responsibility for the information and views expressed in this publication lies entirely with the authors.