Brussels, Oct 18 (BTA/GNA) – The European Council has condemned attacks on civilian shipping, merchant and commercial vessels in the Black Sea, including recent attacks in Bulgaria’s and Romania’s exclusive economic zones, calling them unacceptable and a serious violation of international and maritime law.
In its conclusions adopted on October 16, the European Council reaffirmed the strategic importance of “security, stability and freedom of navigation in the Black Sea”.
The conclusions state that attacks on vessels, alongside strikes on Ukraine’s agricultural infrastructure, Black Sea and Danube ports, border crossing points, export facilities and grain storage facilities, are undermining global food security.
“Russia is once again weaponizing food and undermining global food security in particular in Africa, Asia and the Middle East,” the document says, referring to Russian actions targeting Ukraine’s agricultural and export infrastructure and blocking shipping lanes.
The European Council said attacks on civilian shipping, including vessels flying the flags of EU Member States, constituted a serious violation of international and maritime law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
“To avoid a further deterioration of the situation,” EU leaders called for “the immediate restoration of safe passage for all civilian shipping, merchant and commercial vessels in the Black Sea”.
The conclusions also stressed the importance of further consolidating the EU-Ukraine Solidarity Lanes, describing them as “vital for sustainable grain exports”.
GNA/BTA