In March 2001, a delegation from the Ukraine came to Canada on a technical
fact finding mission about management of land boundaries. The delegation
included:
Prof. Dr. Jur. Volodymyr Vassylenko, Ambassador Extraordinary and
Plenipotentiary of Ukraine, Ambassador-at-Large,
Anatolyi Bondar, Ph.D., Director, of Geodesy, Cartography and Cadastre,
Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources of Ukraine,
Triukhan Mykola, Deputy Director - Chief Editor of Map. Research Institute
of Geodesy & Cartography, ministry of Environment and Natural Resources of
Ukraine, and
Andriy L. Buryak, attaché, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
They made it quite plain to me that Ukraine is in possession of this island
off the Romaine-Ukraine land border.
David H. Gray, M.A.Sc., P.Eng., CLS
Geodesy, Radio Positioning & Maritime Boundary Specialist
Canadian Hydrographic Service
Dept. Fisheries & Oceans
CANADA
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> -----Original Message-----
> From: Charles Gurdon, Menas Associates [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Thursday, January 24, 2002 4:35 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Romania-Ukraine maritime dispute
>
> Victor (and colleagues),
>
> We did a report in 1994 on a maritime
> equidistance line between Romania and Ukraine.
> We also produced coordinates for the line.
>
> Ostrov Zmeinyy (Snake/Serpent Island) was indeed
> administered by the Soviet Union where a radar
> station was based which was run by the Soviet and
> then the Russian military
>
> After the break up of the USSR, Russia initially
> claimed the island because of the radar station
> while the Romanians claimed that Russia
> subsequently dropped its claim. However, when we
> spoke to the head of Russia's legal department in
> the ministry of foreign affairs, he told us that
> Rusisa had not yet articulated its claims and that
> everything was up for negotiation. If the Russian
> claim is now dropped, we assumed that Ukraine
> "inherited" the island. However both Romania and
> Ukraine advanced claims to it in their March 1995
> negotiations.
>
> I don't know what specific issues you are
> interested in but we concluded that, whether
> the island was given full or half effect,
> the JPX Oil & Gas concession and the Delphin
> prospect were undoubtedly in Ukrainian waters.
>
> Let us know if we can be of assistance
>
> Best wishes - Charles
>
> Charles Gurdon
> Menas Associates
>
> -------------Forwarded Message-----------------
>
> Dear Colleagues, Forgive for troubling you. I am seeking information on
> an
> island in the Black Sea. It is called Ostrov Zmeinyy in the British
> sailing directions , but I have seen a spelling Zmeinyj. It is located on
> the west side of the Sea almost due east of the terminus of the land
> boundary between Romania and Ukraine at 45degrees15' N and 30 degrees 12'
> E. I presume it is now a Ukrainian Island. It was certainly considered to
> belong to Russia. The 1969 Pilot describes it as standing 39.6 metres high
> and surrounded by a continuous cliff 15-21 metres high. In 1969 there was
> asighnal station and a white tower 21.6 metres high surmounted by a light.
> A spit extends 1 nm northeast of the island.
>
> I would appreciate confirmation that the feature belongs to Ukraine and
> any
> information about whether it is claimed by Romania. It would also be
> useful
> to have an indication of its area and whether it is used for anything
> other
> than as a platform for navigational aids.
>
> With best wishes for 2002
>
> Sincerely, Victor Prescott
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