SIMFEROPOL, Nov 8 - RIA Novosti. The Montreux Convention on the Black Sea is not subject to revision, the strengthening of the US and NATO military presence in the Black Sea region is unacceptable, Mikhail Sheremet, a deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation from the Crimean region, told RIA Novosti.
Earlier, US Navy officer Brian Harrington said that holding regular military exercises bypassing the Montreux Convention would help deprive Russia of dominance in the Black Sea. Harrington proposed conducting military maneuvers using high-tech weapons and interoperability of US and NATO ships in the Black Sea. According to the Montreux Convention, non-Black Sea countries are obliged to comply with restrictions on the tonnage of warships when passing through the straits in peacetime, so the specialist called on states to join forces to circumvent this rule.
"The Montreux Convention is not subject to revision, especially in favor of the United States. US and NATO ships have nothing to do and manage in the Black Sea region. And Russia, I am sure, will not allow this. Americans should know that for every unfriendly and aggressive step taken against Russia, they will receive an adequate response. We have all the forces and capabilities for this," Sheremet said.
In his opinion, today it is worth raising the issue of banning the entry into the Black Sea of warships of those countries that do not belong to the Black Sea region.
"The Black Sea should become a region of stability and security," the deputy stressed.
The Montreux Convention, adopted in 1936, preserves for merchant ships of all countries the freedom of passage through the Straits both in peacetime and in wartime. However, the regime of passage of warships is different in relation to the Black Sea and non-Black Sea States. For warships of non-Black Sea powers, significant restrictions on class and duration of stay have been introduced.
