As of: February 12, 2024, 9:42 p.m
By: Markus Hofstetter
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Press
Split
The Danube Commission is supposed to guarantee free navigation.
But Moscow is bombing Danube ports.
Now Russia should be shown the door.
Budapest – The Danube is an important economic artery.
With a total length of 2,783 kilometers, it is the second longest river in Europe after the Volga.
Of this, 2,414 kilometers are navigable.
Around 45.7 million tons of goods were handled in the 78 ports in the first six months of 2023.
These include grain, petroleum products, fertilizers and coal.
The German ports of Kelheim, Regensburg, Straubing, Deggendorf and Passau account for around one million tons of this.
The Danube is of central importance for Ukraine with over 15 million tons of goods handled in four ports.
Danube Commission throws Russia out: Ukraine war affects goods traffic
The European Danube Commission, which has its headquarters in Budapest, ensures the smooth movement of goods on the Danube.
It was re-established after the Second World War on August 18, 1948 in Belgrade.
Its predecessor was founded in 1856 after the Crimean War.
But the venerable organization has a big problem that can be described in one word: Russia.
The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine has massively affected the movement of goods on the Danube.
Because the aggressor also attacked the Ukrainian Danube ports.
The other ten Danube neighbors don't want to put up with that.
“The continued aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine and the military destruction of its port infrastructure by the Russian army constitutes a blatant violation of the fundamental principles of international law and the fundamental principle of freedom of navigation on the Danube,” the Danube Commission said in a statement dated March 7. /8th.
November 2023.
In a Russian drone attack at the beginning of August 2023, the building of the Ukrainian Danube Shipping Company in the port city of Izmail was severely damaged.
© Yulii Zozulia/Imago
Shortly after the start of the war in Ukraine, Russia was excluded from all meetings because of “hurtful military aggression.”
This decision is valid until peace, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine are restored.
Danube Commission throws Russia out: Moscow should withdraw voluntarily
But it doesn't look like that in the foreseeable future.
In mid-December 2023, Russia was therefore asked to withdraw from the Danube Commission by February 29th.
“Otherwise, from March 1, 2024, the Danube states will no longer feel bound by their obligations to the Russian Federation under the Belgrade Convention.” This is tantamount to being kicked out.
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However, the Belgrade Convention of 1948 does not provide for the exclusion of a member.
That's why, according to the
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
, international lawyers have come up with a different solution.
The remaining members Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova and Ukraine are establishing a new Danube Commission.
Russia can then simply languish in the old one.
A draft contract for the new commission should already be available.
The Danube Commission also calls on the Russian Federation to pay off its debts.
Moscow has not paid the organization the annual contributions for 2022 and 2023.
There are also bank fees of 530.27 euros.
In total, the outstanding debts amount to 308,515.27 euros, which must be paid by February 29th.
If Russia has not paid by then, default interest of one percent of the outstanding amount per month will be due.