Russia's permanent representative to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzya, has issued a harsh accusation to the United Nations Security Council, saying that the unilateral actions and attitude of the West in ignoring international law are becoming a direct threat to global maritime security.
TASS reported that at the maritime security meeting on May 20, Mr. Nebenzya criticized the West for not only ignoring the terrorist attack on the Nord Stream gas pipeline system, but also continuously violating maritime freedom, including the recent incident when the Jaguar (akked with Gabon flag) was threatened by Estonia and NATO in neutral waters.
It has been nearly three years since the terrorist attack on the Nord Stream gas pipeline, but the masterminds and perpetrators have not yet been prosecuted. Russia's investigation initiatives have been thwarted by Western countries in the Security Council, while Germany, Denmark and Sweden have deliberately concealed the investigation results, Nebenzya said.
He mocked that the only conclusion that the investigation groups have reached so far is: The pipelines were actually blown up. On the Russian side, this lack of transparency shows that the West's statements about "shipping safety" are just an empty story.
Emphasizing concerns about a dangerous precedent, Mr. Nebenzya cited the incident on May 13, when the Estonian Navy and NATO aircraft sought to intercept the Jaguar cargo ship in neutral waters, asking the ship to enter NATO's control area for inspection and temporary detention.
Acting like that, even at sea, is a blatant violation of the right to freedom of navigation. When it occurs in international waters, it is clearly a violation of the right to peaceful travel - a fundamental principle of international law, clearly stated in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, Mr. Nebenzya emphasized.
He also warned the Baltic countries and the European Union (EU) that blocking ships not in accordance with international treaties is a serious violation of sovereignty and freedom of navigation.
According to information released by Russia, the Jaguar was transporting goods at the time and had four Russian citizens in the crew. When threatened by Estonians to "enter" if he did not comply with the order, the captain refused to stop and continued the journey to the port of Primorsk (Russia).
Although nearly three years have passed, the Nord Stream gas pipeline explosion - the energy artery from Russia to Europe - has yet to have an official solution. Russia has repeatedly requested an independent international investigation but has been denied participation or access to the investigation results.
The Wests inactivity and silence over such a transnational crime poses a real threat to marine security. No one can feel safe if international crimes are not punished, Nebenzya affirmed.
