Ukraine files suit against Russia to Hague for the use of the Crimean shelf plate – Minister

Ukraine files suit against Russia to the International Court of Justice for the use of subsurface resources on the continental shelf in the annexed Crimea. It was stated by Justice Minister Pavel Petrenko, speaking in the parliament, - reports LІGA.net.

The head of the Ministry of Justice said that the pre-trial work was going on to record violations of the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination by Russia.

"Russia has no way to avoid the international court for violations of these two conventions if we prove its involvement in the violations specified in the conventions," - he said.

Petrenko said that there had been several rounds of pre-trial procedures concerning these two conventions, and if the Russian Federation did not recognize violations and settle them, then Ukraine would initiate a judicial consideration in the International Court of Justice.

"Third Convention, which refers to the gross and brazen violation of the rights of Ukraine as our resources are used on the continental shelf in the Crimea. We have used all pre-trial settlement mechanisms against the aggressor country regarding this convention and now we are in the process of initiating proceedings in the International Court of Justice," - he stressed.

According to the Minister, Russia, since the 1990s, has entered into international agreements, a provision of which states that if the Russian Federation violates the agreement, it is entitled to refuse to consider such a case in the international court.

"Russia has systematically prepared for aggression because Russia’s entire diplomacy, since the 90s, specifically at the signing of interstate and international agreements, has included provisions that allow it not to apply the right to an international court to these agreements," - he added.

Petrenko also said that the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had analyzed thousands of international agreements and found "a small but significant number of agreements that allow us, without the consent of the aggressor country, to resort to the international court."

The Minister said that Ukraine had submitted 5 complaints about Russia to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

"The civilized world has no doubt that Russia is an aggressor country, that is roughly trampling on the world order. I am sure that Ukraine will win in all those cases that we have initiated. It will be part of the answer and restoration of justice," - he stressed.