Ukraine and Moldova sign agreement on implementation of the Espoo Convention

In Odesa, Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine Ruslan Strilets and his Moldovan counterpart, Minister of Environment Sergiu Lazarencu, signed an Agreement between the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the Government of the Republic of Moldova on the implementation of the Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context.

“Today, our joint actions are in the focus of the European Union. The signing of this Agreement demonstrates our political will to cooperate in accordance with European rules. Now we have a clearly defined procedure for consultations if either party plans a project that may have a cross-border impact on the environment. This will help us not only to take care of the environment together, but also to avoid problematic cases, such as the construction of the Danube-Black Sea Canal. This dispute between Ukraine and Romania took 20 years to resolve. In December 2023, our countries finally closed this issue. Ukraine and Moldova on their way to the EU cannot allow similar cases to happen,” said Ruslan Strilets.

According to him, it is symbolic that the signing of the Agreement took place in Odesa region, near the common borders of Ukraine and Moldova.

“As good neighbours, we already have extensive experience of cooperation in environmental issues. Moldova has joined the work under point 8 of the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Peace Formula. After all, our countries are well aware that state borders cannot stop air, water or soil pollution. USD 60 billion is the total damage to Ukraine’s environment from russia’s large-scale aggression. And this does not include the damage caused by yesterday’s shelling of Odesa. Moldova also felt the consequences – the air masses from the explosion reached its territory,’ the Minister stressed.

Ruslan Strilets thanked Sergiu Lazarencu for visiting Ukraine in these difficult times, as well as the head of the Odesa Regional Military Administration, Oleh Kiper, for hospitality in heroic Odesa.