Minister of Transport Sorin Grindeanu claims that it cannot be said that the fact of opening the topic of the Bastroe channel will help Russian propaganda, and noted that he and the Romanian authorities have proven that they are completely on the side of Ukraine and that they will continue to help Kyiv, writes news.ro.

Sorin Grindean was asked on Sunday in Prima News whether the fact that he raised the issue of dredging in the Bastroe Canal is useful for Russian propaganda in the context of the war that is raging on our country’s border.

“This is nonsense with Russian propaganda, I saw that it continues with the Putinists. These are two different things, and I think that I, the Ministry of Transport and Romania have proven this year that we are completely on the side of Ukraine, that we are helping Ukraine and that the efforts that we are making to help Ukraine with another problem cannot be doubted and should not be mixed. That’s why I asked for these clarifications. I don’t think these things can be questioned, and anyone who questions them is making a misjudgment and, in my view, is just using this approach of Russian propaganda. (…) What should I have done? Should I have lied that I didn’t see it?” Grindeanu said.

He also explained why measurements on the Bastro channel will begin on March 15 and not earlier.

“These days I saw why it was achieved on March 15 when the meeting was yesterday. Because at this point it’s not that our men or ships aren’t ready. E. It’s just that, in addition to the verbal approval we received on Friday at this meeting, there should also be documents that need to be communicated to you at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Entering Bastro means entering the territory of 100% of the Ukrainian state. We asked for some protection. These things must be prepared. In addition, we have accepted and we are as open as possible for them to appoint a person who will be on board our ships and cooperate with Romanian experts, and this is good,” the Minister of Transport also conveyed.

The minister clarified that Romania’s efforts to resist Russian aggression cannot be doubted.

“If there was anything that worried me during this period, it was (not that he was accused of spreading Russian propaganda about Bastro) because I think that this year I made an effort with my colleagues from the Ministry of Transport, what we are talking about. the green lines, what we are talking about is the work we have done in the port of Constanta and Galati, and everything related to Ukraine, and everything we have done because it is right. And we don’t expect anything else. We are trying to resist Russian aggression in this way, and this cannot be doubted. But the war is with Putin, not with the Danube Delta. And we don’t even condition, we support with all our might, there is no such problem,” Grindyanu also stated.

Experts from the European Commission are expected in Romania on Monday to facilitate dialogue between Ukraine and Romania in the scandal over dredging works on the Bastro Canal.

Results of the first meeting of the Romanian and Ukrainian authorities

Romanian authorities will begin measuring the Kilia branch and Bastroe canal on March 15, the Transport Ministry said on Friday, the first meeting between Romanian and Ukrainian officials in the scandal over Ukrainian dredging at Bastroe.

According to the source, the technical meeting took place in the format of a video conference at the level of experts between the Romanian and Ukrainian sides, coordinated at the level of state secretaries of both sides.

• “Participants agreed that the Romanian side will start measurements on the Kili branch and the Bastroe channel from March 15, 2023.
• At the same time, an expert from each side was created as a single point of contact.
• They will meet on Monday, March 6, 2023, to determine the details of the plan for the Chilia Arm and Bastro Channel measurements, which are estimated to last 10 days.
• Both parties agreed that this is the best solution to clarify the conflicting information about the dredging of the Bastro Canal and the Kiliy Arm.
• The Romanian side showed readiness to involve experts from Ukraine, as well as third-party institutions, in these measurements.
• The Ukrainian side will ensure the safety of Romanian ships and personnel during the entire period of measurement activities,” the Ministry of Transport reported.

The scandal surrounding the dredging of the Bastro canal

Ukraine has not violated any agreement by deepening the Bastro Canal from the Danube to increase food exports from its river ports, and is ready to demonstrate the activity to Romania, Ukrainian Deputy Infrastructure Minister Yuriy said a week ago. Vaskova, quoted by Reuters.

The clarifications came in the context of Bucharest asking Kyiv to immediately stop dredging work on Bastro, unless it is aimed exclusively at maintaining the waterway, and requesting emergency access to the area to check what work has been done.

The scandal erupted on February 15 after Transport Minister Sorin Grindeanu said that “there are signals that Ukraine is currently dredging the Bastro Canal, which may have an impact on the environment and the Danube Delta,” and “the Ministry of Business, Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Natural Resources should act with the position and inform”:

• “There are some international agreements that we must respect. We provoked this meeting at the Ministry of Transport, although it is not necessarily a matter of MTS.
• This is more a matter that belongs to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Environment, because we are talking about international treaties that everyone must respect, and because we are talking about the possible impact of such dredging operations at Bastroe on the environment and the Danube Delta.”

READ ALSO: Grindean: ‘What, I had to lie?’

The following day (February 16), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it would convey to the European Commission that Romania opposes Ukraine’s intention – which is not new – to carry out dredging work on the Bastro Canal, clarifying that it was not any institution in Romania that reported the deepening of the canal Bastro, which will now be made by Ukrainians. The MAE recalled the position of Romania, which does not agree with the proposal to include the Danube branches of Chile and Bastro in the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T).

Prime Minister Nicolae Chuke also reacted to this scandal, saying that the ambassador of Ukraine in Bucharest was called to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to get Ukraine’s consent for the Romanian authorities to go there to check.

President Klaus Iohannis also spoke out, saying that “concern for the preservation of the biodiversity of the Danube Delta should not be confused with the various current political approaches”.

• “I don’t think it’s appropriate to attack Ukrainians based on unspecified data at the moment. They don’t need to be scolded,” Yohannis said.

He accused that “our politicians are chasing publicity, on the eve of the elections”, “commenting without knowing what exactly is happening”, and this conflict will benefit Moscow.

Two days after Yohannis’ intervention, Prime Minister Chuke said “there is evidence and information that the dredging was more than agreed” but “it is unnatural for such a topic to be discussed and speculated politically”.

READ ALSO:

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• VIDEO. Iohannis’ first reaction to the Bastro scandal: Those who tried to make a big deal out of it don’t think they understood the stakes of the period
• The Bastro scandal: Ukraine demands a meeting of the ministers of ecology / The term given by the European Commissioner for the European Commission report
• Explanation of Ukraine in the scandal with Romania regarding the dredging of the Bastro canal
• Scandal in Bastroe: Romania demands emergency access to the territory, the ambassador of Ukraine insists that it is only repair work
• What impact could deepening the Bastroe Canal have on the Danube Delta in Romania