Russian-flagged vessels will be banned from entering Romanian ports except for humanitarian emergency purposes and energy transit starting April 17, the Romanian Naval Authority said
CHISINAU (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th April, 2022) Russian-flagged vessels will be banned from entering Romanian ports except for humanitarian emergency purposes and energy transit starting April 17, the Romanian Naval Authority said.
Belgium issued a similar ban on Friday.
"Effective April 17, 2022, 00:00 (April 16, 21:00 GMT), access to Romanian ports is forbidden for any vessel registered under the Russian flag, including vessels that have changed the Russian flag to the flag of any other state or that have changed their registration in Russia to the registration in any other state after February 24, 2022," the authority said in a press release on Friday.
The ban will not apply to the ships in need of assistance and seeking refuge, or if a ship needs an emergency stop in port for security reasons or to save lives.
Other exceptions include EU-bound vessels carrying gas, oil and petroleum products, titanium, aluminum, copper, nickel, palladium, iron ore, some chemical products, non-sanctioned pharmaceuticals, food, agricultural products, fertilizers, nuclear fuel and equipment for nuclear power plants, coal and other fossil fuels.
On February 24, Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine after the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk appealed for help in defending themselves against Ukrainian provocations. In response, the EU rolled out a comprehensive sanctions campaign against Moscow, which includes airspace closures and restrictive measures targeting numerous Russian officials and entities, media and financial institutions.
