Chisinau Mayor Accuses Moldovan Government of Ceding Dniester River Water Control to Ukraine

CHISINAU, July 20. /TASS/. Chisinau’s Mayor Ion Ceban has accused the Moldovan government of effectively transferring to Ukraine the right to manage water resources of the Dniester River, which forms the border between the two countries.

"Not long ago, an agreement was signed, under which the Moldovan side ceded 100% of control over water resources in the north of Moldova to Ukraine. This document is classified and is held by the Foreign Ministry. The situation is as follows: the intergovernmental commission on the joint use of the Dniester River is not functioning, and, what is most important, significant concessions have been made that, under certain circumstances, could harm Moldova," he said at a city government meeting, commenting on Minister of the Environment Gheorghe Hajder’s warning regarding the drop in water levels in the Dniester River.

Last week, Hajder said that the Moldovan authorities had been informed by the Ukrainian side about water shortages in the upstream reservoir. He warned that "Chisinau might be left without water" and accused Ceban, who leads the opposition party National Alternative Movement, of inaction. Meanwhile, Ceban on Monday revealed data indicating that there was no drop in water levels at that time and accused the government of sowing panic. He called a meeting of the emergencies commission to discuss a plan of action in case of water shortages.

In 2012, Moldova and Ukraine signed an agreement on cooperation in the area of the protection and sustainable development od the Dniester basin. Moldova’s government and environmental activists protested against Ukraine’s plans to build six power plants on the river, which has been dramatically degrading in recent years. However, the current Moldovan government declares its total support for Kiev.