The Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization ignores Kyiv's opinion on the construction of a bridge across the Kerch Strait. This complained to the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Vasily Bodnar on Friday, December 15, during a press conference on the margins of the BSEC meeting in Kiev, RIA Novosti reported.. "Of course, we emphasize above all harm (the erection of the Kerch bridge - ed.. ) for the ecology of the Black and Azov Seas and through environmental conventions, we are trying to influence the construction process, since it does not meet the requirements that are imposed on such structures, "- quotes Ukrinform Bodnara. He stressed that Kiev also believes that the Kerch bridge is being built illegally, since the territory of the Crimea was occupied. "We draw attention, including the BSEC, but it does not find support that such projects can not be implemented without due attention of the international community," says Bodnar. It should be noted that the event is attended by a representative of the Russian Embassy in Ukraine. The diplomacy explained that the Ukrainian side sent a note about holding a meeting in Kiev to all participants, and "the Russian delegation participates in the BSEC work in accordance with the principles of the organization," Inforos. According to him, the position of the Ukrainian side on the alleged illegality of the construction of the Kerch bridge due to the "occupation" of the Crimea did not find unanimous support from the meeting participants. After today's meeting, the BSEC chairmanship will shift to Armenia for six months.

Earlier, Ukraine's Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko announced plans to create a joint investigation team of the countries of the Black Sea region - Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Turkey, and Nezalezhnaya - to investigate possible environmental violations while erecting a bridge from Taman to the coast of the Russian peninsula. Head of the Crimea Sergey Aksyonov called this statement "cosmic stupidity".

BSEC was established in 1992 to develop cooperation in the Black Sea basin. The organization includes Azerbaijan, Albania, Armenia, Bulgaria, Greece, Georgia, Moldova, Russia, Romania, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine.