DOCUMENT ON TRUST-BUILDING MEASURES IN THE BLACK SEA ADOPTED

On April 25 in Kyiv a document on trust-building and security measures in the naval sphere in the Black Sea was officially approved at the level of the foreign ministers of the six Black Sea nations, including Russia, Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Turkey and Ukraine.

The joint statement made by the parties upon the adoption of the document states the desire of the nations concerned to continue to develop goodneighborly relations and to contribute in every way to the strengthening of stability and the climate of trust in the Black Sea region. To this end the parties agreed to exchange information on a mutual basis and in a regular manner regarding the numerical strength and composition of their navies and to give one another advance notice of major exercises planned by them in the Black Sea. It is also envisaged to broaden the practice of calls by naval vessels at ports and to invite observers to visit naval bases and to attend naval exercises on the high seas.

For the first time in arms control practice a group of nations of an individual region reached agreement on their naval activities being covered by trust-building and security measures. The importance of this fact is hard to overestimate as the contemporary naval forces with their high mobility and great combat potential are capable of exerting crucial influence on strategic developments.

By virtue of its geographic location the Black Sea has always been part of Russia's sphere of special interests. Note should be made of its close links to European security. Today it is a sea of peace and intensive trade and economic cooperation. The document adopted in Kyiv, which began to be worked out on Ukraine's initiative way back in 1994 and which was from the start energetically supported by Russia, is opening up fresh horizons and creating a comprehensive set of tools for increasing the transparency and collaboration of the region's navies in the interests of stronger peace and the development of mutually beneficial cooperation.

The Russian side attaches much importance to the adoption of the multilateral document and declares its commitment to its consistent and painstaking observance. It is our conviction that, acting in the spirit of goodwill and stronger goodneighborly relations, the other participating nations, will adopt a similar approach.