Ukraine awaits decision of Arbitration Tribunal on Kerch Bridge in 2019 – Iryna Lutsenko
Kyiv expects that in 2019 the Arbitration Tribunal will take a decision on the motion for protection of Ukraine's sovereign interests in connection with the construction of the Kerch bridge by Russia, representative of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in the Verkhovna Rada, Iryna Lutsenko, has said.
"In connection with the illegal construction of the Kerch bridge, on the instructions of the head of state, according to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, Ukraine filed the motion to the Arbitration Tribunal to defend the sovereign interests of Ukraine," Lutsenko said at a meeting of the Verkhovna Rada's conciliation council in Kyiv on Monday.
According to her, Ukraine expects that its consideration will begin before the end of 2018.
"We will expect a result in 2019," she said.
As reported, on May 15, Russian President Vladimir Putin took part in the opening of the traffic on a road and rail bridge that connects the Crimean peninsula with the mainland part of the Russian Federation.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko stated that despite Russia's attempts to legitimize the temporary occupation of the Crimean peninsula, Ukraine will continue to consistently defend its positions in international courts, including a petition for the illegal erection of the Kerch bridge.