Ukraine-Romania: No Claims?

“We have no differences regarding the issue of borders with Ukraine,” Romanian President Ion Iliescu stated on his arrival in Kyiv. “This is not a problem we came to discuss in Ukraine or one that should be solved by the presidents of the two countries,” he said.

Meanwhile, according to head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs press service Serhiy Borodenkov, Kyiv expected from Romanian president’s visit a breakthrough in the negotiations on the borders issue, taking decisions that would make possible a breakthrough in negotiations on the treaty on the state border regime and agreement on the delimitation of the continental shelf and exclusive economic zones of the two countries in the Black Sea. In Mr. Borodenkov’s words, the Ukrainian side expected that during the visit the existing line concerning the Ukrainian-Romanian state border would be confirmed and agreements entered on fixing the relevant clause in the text of the treaty on the Romanian- Ukrainian state border regime.

Ukraine would like to sign corresponding documents in the near future; however, Pres. Iliescu rather diplomatically told Interfax Ukraine that the agreement on the delimitation of territorial waters would be signed only after the experts finish their work. According to the Romanian head of state, their work is of technical character and is aimed at “simply clarifying some elements of the border, especially those in waters where the border must go through its deepest sections.”

As it is known, at the NATO Prague summit this October Romania expects an invitation to join the alliance and must not have any territorial disputes with neighboring countries. Simultaneously, as Romania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Mircea Jeoana stated recently to RIA Novyny, “Bucharest believes Ukraine’s recent decision to join NATO a brilliant strategic move opening up new opportunities to develop bilateral relations.”