MAE: Romania intervenes in favor of Ukraine at ICJ in proceedings launched against Russian Federation

Romania has decided to intervene in favor of Ukraine at the International Court of Justice in proceedings against the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) announced on Wednesday.

"Following the steps taken in support of Ukraine as a result of the illegal war of aggression launched by the Russian Federation against this state, the Romanian authorities approved, at the highest level, for Romania to address a request for intervention in the proceedings initiated by Ukraine against the Russian Federation at the International Court of Justice on 26 February 2022, relating to a dispute on the interpretation, application and fulfillment of the obligations under Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, of 1948. Romania's demarche to intervene in the proceedings is taking place that at the express request of the Ukrainian side, sent by the Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dmytro Kuleba, to the Romanian counterpart, Bogdan Aurescu, on the occasion of the Ukrainian Minister's visit in Bucharest," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs mentions in a press release sent to AGERPRES.

According to the MAE, in the context of these proceedings, Romania will coordinate with other like-minded states that have taken a similar decision and will cooperate closely with the Ukrainian representatives involved in the proceedings before the ICJ.

The decision of the Romanian authorities was communicated by Minister Bogdan Aurescu to his European colleagues and Ukrainian counterpart at the Foreign Affairs Council meeting held in Brussels a few days ago, as an expression of the "constant" support, "of principle" of the Bucharest authorities for the Ukrainian cause, informs the Foreign Ministry.

"Romania's decision once again reflects our country's strong position in favor of capitalizing on the instruments and institutions of international law in support of maintaining and restoring international peace and security, as well as the unconditional trust in the fundamental role of the ICJ as a promoter of international justice," the release further mentions.

On February 26, 2022, Ukraine submitted a request to initiate proceedings against the Russian Federation at the ICJ, relating to a dispute on the interpretation, application and fulfillment of the obligations under the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

According to the MAE, Ukraine complained that the Russian Federation falsely invoked that acts of genocide were committed in the Lugansk and Donetsk regions in order to justify the recognition of the so-called Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republic, as well as to carry out a special military operation against Ukraine. "On the basis of these false accusations, the Russian Federation is currently engaged in a process of military invasion of Ukraine, which has the effect of serious and widespread violations of human rights and international humanitarian law," the MAE said.

By an order dated 16 March 2022, the Court indicated interim/protective measures, which established the Russian Federation's obligation to immediately suspend military operations commenced on 24 February 2022 on the territory of Ukraine, as well as to ensure that military or irregular units that the Russian Federation would direct or support, as well as any organizations or individuals that would be subject to its control or leadership do not make any attempt to continue military operations. The order also stipulates that both parties will refrain from any action that could aggravate or extend the dispute before the Court or that would make it more difficult to resolve it, explains the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Moreover, by an order dated March 23, 2022, the ICJ indicated the date of September 23, 2022 as the deadline for the submission of the Memorandum of Ukraine, respectively March 23, 2023 as the deadline for the submission of the Counter-Memorandum of the Russian Federation.

According to the rules of the Statute of the International Court of Justice, if a case seems to involve the interpretation of a multilateral convention to which States other than those involved in the dispute are parties, the Registrar shall notify those States and any notified State has the right to intervene in the proceedings.

Romania, as the other states parties to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, has received a notification from the ICJ Registry that the proceedings initiated by Ukraine appear to raise issues of interpretation of this Convention, and States Parties may avail themselves of the possibility of intervening in the present case.

The intervention declaration which can be addressed before the date set for the opening of oral proceedings related to the dispute in question, involves certain additional procedures on the part of the intervening State. AGERPRES