The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and Naftogaz of Ukraine paid over $ 10 million to American law firm Covington & Burling for consultations and legal support of cases in international courts on disputes with Russia. About this in his article for ZN. UA writes Valentina Samar.

The author notes that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine started cooperation with Covington & Burling in 2015. Then, to protect the interests of Ukraine in the dispute with Russia on the interpretation and application of the Agreement between the Cabinet of Ministers and the Government of the Russian Federation on the promotion and mutual protection of investments (1998. ) State procurement of the company's services amounted to 0.3 million. Dollars. Then another agreement was signed, without clarifying the case.

"According to the documents ZN has at its disposal. UA, in 2015, under the contract with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Covington & Burling, 1,077,108 dollars. USA. In 2016, the amount of payments under agreements with the Foreign Ministry amounted to $ 2,829,723, "reads the article.

In its turn, Naftogaz of Ukraine last December held negotiations on the purchase of legal services related to the protection of rights and interests of Ukraine on the suit in the International Tribunal of the United Nations on the Law of the Sea. Covington & Burling won the contract The sum of the contract was 6.31 million dollars, and its validity - until December 31, 2017.

"Total, only the amounts quoted here, paid to one company, attracted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Naftogaz for providing similar services, amounts to more than $ 10 million in two years.

It is also known that in the budget of Ukraine for 2017 is provided 152.2 million UAH (against 107.7 million in 2016 g. ) On legal support for resolving disputes with the Russian Federation related to the violation of its obligations under international treaties of Ukraine, "concludes Samar.

Read more about the Ukrainian lawsuits against the Russian Federation in international courts in the article by Valentina Samar "At the Court Without an Investigation" in the weekly "Mirror of the Week. Ukraine".