Belgium will provide Ukraine with a vessel for environmental monitoring of the Black and Azov Seas.
Ukraine will receive a research vessel from the Kingdom of Belgium for monitoring the Black and Azov Seas.
As Ukrinform reports, this was reported by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources.
"Ukraine and the Kingdom of Belgium have signed a memorandum of understanding in the field of water protection and reproduction and rational use of water resources. The document was signed by the Belgian Federal Science Policy Office, the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, and the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine," the statement said.
With this memorandum, the Belgian side confirms its readiness to transfer the research vessel "Belgica" to Ukraine free of charge.
The Ministry noted that the 1984 vessel is in good condition and has unique built-in equipment, such as high-precision echo sounders.
"The protection of marine ecosystems is included in the environmental block of the Ukraine-EU Association Agreement, according to which our state must carry out regular marine monitoring according to European standards. Currently, Ukraine is implementing the provisions of the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive for the phased achievement of a good environmental status of the marine environment. We thank the Belgian side for such assistance, which will strengthen the environmental monitoring of the Black and Azov Seas," commented Roman Abramovsky, Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources.
The memorandum provides for strengthening cooperation between Ukrainian and Belgian scientists on the joint study of the Black Sea, in particular the problem of rising hydrogen sulfide levels.
At the same time, the Belgian side invites Ukrainian specialists to join research work in the North Sea.
"We expect that very soon, with the financial support of the EU project "European Union for Strengthening Environmental Monitoring in the Black Sea" (EU4EMBLAS), the vessel "Belgica" under the Ukrainian flag will head to Ukraine. And in the autumn, comprehensive monitoring of our marine areas will begin on board this vessel," the Ministry of Environment noted.
As Ukrinform reported, in July Abramovsky and the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Spain to Ukraine, Silvia Cortés Martín, discussed issues of Ukrainian-Spanish cooperation in the field of environmental protection.