EU Presidency Statement on the Ukraine-Russia dispute over Tuzla island and the Kerch strait

The EU welcomes the decision by the Governments of Ukraine and of the Russian Federation to hold talks aimed at finding a negotiated agreement on the territorial dispute concerning the area of the Ukrainian Tuzla island and the Kerch strait.

The EU hopes that bilateral negotiations will be conducted in a spirit of good-neighbourly relations and with the aim of finding a quick solution that preserves lasting regional stability.

The EU is of the opinion that, as a matter of principle, such issues ought to be settled through bilateral negotiations, with due respect for territorial integrity, and without the pressure of unilateral measures.

Should agreement prove elusive, the EU, its Member States and the Acceding Countries consider that the matter could be referred to the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

The Acceding Countries Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, the Slovak Republic and Slovenia, the Associated Countries Bulgaria and Romania and the EFTA countries Iceland and Liechtenstein, members of the European Economic Area align themselves with this statement.

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