Russia welcomes Turkey’s ‘Montreux assurance’

MOSCOW

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. REUTERS Photo

Russia welcomes Turkey’s assurances of commitment to the Montreux Convention, Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said April 14 amid the ongoing tension in Ukraine.

“Russia has noted with satisfaction Turkey’s statement that it will continue, just as it has been doing over the past 78 years, to comply with the Montreux Convention, which makes a significant contribution to the security of the Black Sea states,” Lukashevich said in a statement, Russian news agency Itar-Tass reported.

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said over the weekend that Turkey “would never allow the violation of the Montreux Convention whatsoever.”

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had criticized Turkey early April for turning its back on American vessels’ violations of the convention by allowing their stay in the Black Sea longer than 21 days as outlined in the 1936-dated treaty. Russian Ambassador to Turkey Andrey Karlov was summoned to the Foreign Ministry last week over Russian officials’ insistent statements on the implementation of the convention.