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Ukrainian parliament not back opposition’s initiative to denounce BSF agreement with Russia

According to the opposition, the agreement with Russia was signed and ratified “in detriment of Ukraine’s national interests”

KIEV, June 19 (Itar-Tass) - Ukraine’s parliament has not approved a draft law to denounce the 2010 agreement to extend the stay of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet in the Ukrainian port of Sevastopol.

The draft law has been submitted by the opposition deputy, Vladimir Yvorivsky. A total of 152 deputies voted for the draft law.

According to the opposition, the agreement with Russia was signed and ratified “in detriment of Ukraine’s national interests”. “It poses a potential threat to the country’s sovereignty and its territorial integrity,” the opposition said.

Deputies of the Party of Regions faction and the Communists disagreed with this position.

Earlier, the parliament’s committee for international affairs recommended to reject the draft law because it violated several Ukrainian laws, as well as the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties.

On April 21, 2010 Ukrainian and Russian Presidents, Viktor Yanukovich and Dmitry Medvedev, signed an agreement to extend the stay of the Black Sea Fleet on the Ukrainian territory till 2042. On April 27, 2010 the Ukrainian ratified the agreement.