Foreign Affairs minister: Changing the ownership of some islands is permitted by the Border Treaty with Ukraine and it does not represent Romania's territorial demands

Completely unjustified statements – this is how the Romanian Foreign Affairs minister Teodor Baconschi characterised the information quoted by the Ukrainian press reading that Romania has territorial demands on the Maikan island. The 2003 Treaty clearly stipulates the principles according to which the common Danube border is drawn and allows the alteration of the ownership for some islands, should measurements indicate it, without this meaning that Romania has got territorial demands over Ukraine.

The border with Ukraine has not been updated since 1973. Currently, the Romanian-Ukrainian joint Commission is handling the issue and studies nine border documents. The Romanian representatives in the Commission are Interior Ministry, Border Police, Foreign Affairs, Transport Ministry, Environment Ministry and National Cadastre Agency staff.

„Drawing the border line must be done according to the current to the navigable sailing line, the way in which it results after the measurements and checks. The ownership of the island is established from case to case, according to their position with the sailing line. Modifying their ownership is allowed specifically by the Treaty with Ukraine. Under no circumstances can we link these issues with the Romanian party’s territorial demands. The 2003 treaty sees in the first article that putting together new border documents does not represent a border revise between Romania and Ukraine”, minister Teodor Baconschi said.

The minister could not say if the current sailing now can justify Romania’s ownership of the Maikan Island. He argues that experts are carrying out studies and a conclusion will be drawn according to them and the situation on the ground, according to the two principles formulated by the border Treaty.