Despite more and more ships being added to the EU's sanctions list due to Russia's war in Ukraine, concern remains high for the often substandard ships used. Accidents have occurred with tankers that normally only operate on Russian rivers in the Black Sea. Now, Sikorski also warns of completely unregistered and uninsured boats.
We must act legally and properly before we get a massive environmental disaster. We need legal changes to the maritime laws, says the foreign minister in a meeting with TT and other EU correspondents in Warsaw.
The entrance to the Baltic Sea is governed by the so-called Öresund Convention from 1857, when Denmark finally gave up its customs requirements in exchange for a one-time compensation from neighboring countries. Sikorski, however, believes that the agreements made in peacetime no longer work.
We are no longer in peacetime, we are in an emergency. The authoritarian always find loopholes, but we must not be foolish, says the foreign minister.
Sikorski's Poland is the chairing country of the EU's council until July 1, when Denmark will take over instead.
