ROMANIA: MARINE SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AUTHORIZATIONS

UNCLAS BUCHAREST 000753 DEPT FOR EUR/CE: ASCHIEBE, OES/OA SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KRVC TPHY EWWT RO SUBJECT: ROMANIA: MARINE SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AUTHORIZATIONS REF: STATE 94522 Sensitive but Unclassified; not for Internet Distribution. ¶1. (U) In response to reftel request for information, post's officer responsible for transportation issues, including handling of Foreign Ministry authorizations for maritime scientific research, is Economic Officer Justin D. Berg: Tel: 40-21-200-3436 Fax: 40-21-200-3478 E-mail: BergJ@state.gov ETD from post: April 2010. ¶2. (U) Mr. Berg's back-up is Economic Officer Bernadette E. Roberts: Tel: 40-21-200-3418 Fax: 40-21-200-3478 E-mail: RobertsBE@state.gov ETD from post: August 2009. ¶3. (SBU) Pursuant to reftel, post contacted Cosmin Onisii, Director of the North American Desk at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) to request additional information regarding the Government of Romania's (GOR) procedure for handling vessel authorizations. Onisii responded that the MFA's Office for Boundaries and Maritime Delimitation is primarily responsible for this issue but that the Office's director and staff are currently involved in presenting Romania's boundary dispute case with Ukraine to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague. Onisii cautioned that this is an unfamiliar area for the GOR and that it might take some time to prepare an authoritative response. He also indicated that, to the best of his knowledge, no formal procedure has been developed by the GOR for responding to this kind of request. ¶4. (SBU) Furthermore, Onisii noted that the delimitation of Romania's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the Black Sea is still pending due to the ongoing boundary dispute with Ukraine. As a result, the Government of Turkey has refused to open negotiations with Romania on this subject, indicating that they would prefer to wait for a final ICJ ruling. Onisii ventured that the question of vessel authorization for research in Romania's EEZ is likely moot until such an EEZ is established. ¶5. (U) Post will follow up with the MFA Office for Boundaries and Maritime Delimitation and report their response septel. Taubman