Putin proposes cancellation of Black Sea Fleet agreements

Moscow, March 29: Russian President

on Friday submitted a proposal to the lower house of parliament on terminating a number of

-

agreements over the Black Sea Fleet.

The agreements, signed in 1997, are related to the parameters of division of the Black Sea Fleet as well as the status and conditions of the Russian Black Sea Fleet's deployment on the territory of Ukraine on reciprocal payments.

"Following the signing of the treaty between Russia and Crimea March 18, 2014 on Crimea's accession to Russia and formation of two new regions within Russia, the essence of the Russian-Ukrainian agreements was lost due to the virtual cessation of legal relations of Russia renting facilities for its Black Sea Fleet in Ukraine," the Kremlin's official website said.

Putin also issued a resolution appointing Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin and Deputy Defence Minister Nikolai Pankov his official representatives in both chambers of the federal assembly in the process of scrutiny of the proposals on cancelling the legal effect of the agreements.

IANS