A delegation of the Republic of Moldova that will include a deputy minister of environment will go to Kiev on March 24 to request the Ukrainian side to renounce plans to build six barrages on the Nistru River, IPN reports.
Director of “Moldova’s Water” Agency Igor Hancu, in the program “Public Space” on Radio Moldova said Moldova insists that Ukraine should ratify the Rome Agreement so as to concertedly manage the hydrographic basin of the Nistru. In a previous discussion, the Prime Ministers of Moldova and Ukraine agreed that a common approach will be made to the European Commission to carry out a feasibility study for the whole basin of the Nistru, from spring to discharge.
“Since then we have waited for answers and approaches on the part of the Ukrainian side, but nothing followed. We will go ourselves and will make approaches to the European Commission. I think we should already include the European bodies,” said the director of “Moldova’s Water” Agency.
Anatolie Prohnitski, leader of the Green Ecologist Party of Moldova, in the same program said the state institutions responsible for this area should be harsher towards Kiev. ”Discussions with Ukraine were often held and a lot of meetings were staged, at different levels. But the Ukrainian side always refuses to discuss this subject. We are trying to take measures not to allow building these barrages,” he said, adding that the construction of dams on the Nistru poses big threats and the situation can become catastrophic.
In a call-in, chairman of the Green Party of Ukraine Vitaly Kononov said he does not support the intentions of his country. The party he heads will support Moldova’s approaches to ban the construction of new barrages upstream on the Nistru.
In another call-in, Silvius Dumitru, secretary general of the Green Party of Romania, said the decision to build barrages on the Nistru should be taken by consensus. “If it is advantageous to both of the sides, a consensus can be reached by respecting the environment protection norms, in accordance with international regulations. But here it is about Ukraine’s unilateral decision to build hydroelectric plants that will diminish the course and discharge of water,” he stated. According to him, the Republic of Moldova should clearly impose its viewpoint, including by informing the international bodies that regulate this field.
At the beginning of this year, Ukraine announced its intention to build six barrages on the Nistru. The Moldovan authorities criticized this decision, saying the neighboring state’s intention will lead to a considerable decline in the level of water in the river, will make the supply of Chisinau with drinking water difficult and will affect the quality of water supplied to Chisinau. The public utility “Apa Canal-Chisinau” earlier declared that big risks will be faced if the quantity of water upstream of the Ukrainian town Novodnevstrovsk is portioned and also because the water at these hydroelectric plants will be treated thermally and could be thus technical, not yet drinkable in Moldova.
