PERMANENT INTERNATIONAL SECRETARIAT
OF THE ORGANIZATION OF THE BLACK SEA
ECONOMIC COOPERATION,
Istanbul

Unofficial translation

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation presents its compliments to the Permanent International Secretariat (PERMIS) of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) and, with reference to the Note of the Consulate General of Ukraine in Istanbul No. 61318/35-207/1-81 of 21 January 2016, has the honor to state the following.

We view the Note of the Ukrainian Side as just another attempt to misrepresent the situation around Crimea and the city of Sevastopol with regard to their accession to the Russian Federation which was effected in full compliance with the rules of international law. In our opinion, the approach employed by the Ukrainian authorities completely ignores the principles of equality and self‑determination of peoples, and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without any distinction.

The Russian Side reiterates that the accession of the Republic of Crimea to the Russian Federation is a legitimate form of exercising by the people of Crimea of their right to self-determination, given the violent coup d'état staged in Ukraine with outside support with the ensuing rampage by radical nationalists who would not stop short of using terror and intimidation against both their political opponents and the population of the entire regions of Ukraine.

In view of the above, Russia calls upon BSEC and all BSEC Member States not to heed the aforementioned Note of the Consulate General of Ukraine in Istanbul and to proceed from the fact that everything stated in it has nothing to do with reality.

The Russian Side also emphasizes that the concerns of the Ukrainian Side expressed in the Note of the Consulate General fall outside the terms of reference of BSEC and, therefore, should not affect the cooperation among the BSEC Member States. The Russian Federation continues to fulfill all its obligations undertaken in the framework of BSEC, including with regard to joint projects related to the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation points out that this Note, as well as the previous Notes of the Ministry (No.4234-n-des of 28 May 2014 and No.330-n of 19 January 2015) contain exhaustive explanations regarding the substance of issues repeatedly raised by the Ukrainian Side, and, therefore, does not deem it necessary to continue responding to similar démarches by the Ukrainian Side in the form of diplomatic Notes sent via the Permanent International Secretariat of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation.

The Ministry kindly requests the Permanent International Secretariat of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation to circulate the present Note among the BSEC Member States.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation avails itself of the opportunity to renew to the Permanent International Secretariat of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation the assurances of its highest consideration.

           Moscow, 11 March 2016