On Monday, September 23, Ukraine's presentation in the Arbitration Tribunal regarding its coastal state rights in the Black and Azov Seas and the Kerch Strait (Ukraine vs. russia) began in The Hague, according to Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
As reported, on September 23, a delegation led by Ukraine's agent, Ambassador-at-Large Anton Korynevych, began presenting Ukraine's position in oral hearings before the Arbitration Tribunal, established under Annex VII of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, concerning Ukraine's rights as a coastal state in the Black and Azov Seas and the Kerch Strait (Ukraine vs. russia).
The ministry reminded that the case, which Ukraine filed in 2016, concerns russia's violation of fundamental principles of maritime law—such as the right to transit passage, freedom of navigation, obligations to protect the marine environment, and the preservation of underwater cultural heritage.
It is noted that the hearings, held at the Peace Palace in The Hague, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, will continue until October 5, 2024, and are confidential to the public, except for the opening and closing statements of the parties' agents.
"Holding russia accountable for violations of international law is one of the MFA's top priorities in implementing President Volodymyr Zelensky's Peace Formula. The work of Ukraine's delegation in The Hague over the next two weeks aims to restore justice for our state and people in the field of maritime law", - the statement said.