Romania can not accept more unjust consequences than those already produced by the illicit occupation of the Serpent Island in 1948

Romania can not accept the expanding of the unjust consequences produces by the illicit occupation of by the Soviet Union occupation of the Serpent Island in 1948, argued Romania’s representative in the International Court of Justice, Bogdan Aurescu, who introduced Romania’s pleading on Tuesday, in the lawsuit against Ukraine. Aurescu pointed at the fact that the taking over of the island, along with the arbitrary sea frontier drawing may lead to the loss of over 1,600 square kilometers of sea space for Romania.

Bogdan Aurescu presented in the Court the history of the illicit takeover of the Serpent Island by the USSR and proved the unjust effects produced by the situation and argued that these effects should not generate now further losses by agreeing with an increased role for the Serpent Island and accepting its continental platform share.

The takeover of the island in 1948, along with an unfair drawing of the river borders – where Romania once again lost several islands on the Danube – led Romania to losing important sea territory. Near the Serpent Island, Romania has a 9 sea miles width of the platform, while Ukraine has 12.

Although Romania does not demand the annulment of this illegal situations from it’s very beginning, and also does not ask for „compensation Justice”, it will not accept this illegal situation to supplementary affect Romania’s territorial rights.

Romania asked the Serpent Island to be considered as a rock and not as an island and suggested for the „equal distance line / median line – special circumstances / relevant circumstances” drawing of the border.

The proportions test, the character of the rock, the distance to the shores and the juridical practice were also invoked as arguments.

Ukraine demanded a border line to be drawn between Romania and the Serpent Island and a small part of the Crimean sea shore, ignoring the rest of the Ukrainian sea shore, followed by further lines and medians without any grounds and reason, the result being a continental platform twice as large as the one demanded by the USSR.