Ukraine to stop building cascade hydropower plants on Dniestre

Chisinau, 10 April /MOLDPRES/- Ukraine will stop any works on the construction of cascade hydropower plants on the Dniester River until the impact assessment of the environmental strategy in a cross-border context is carried out.

Valentina Tapis, state secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Regional Development and Environment, made the statement today in a press conference dedicated to the second meeting of the Moldovan-Ukrainian Commission on the protection and stable use of the Dniester River.

"The message came from the state enterprise Ukrghidroenergo, which was recorded in report, signed by the co-heads of the commission. At the same time, the Ukrainian side was obliged to submit to the Moldovan side the documentation related to the Dniester hydrotechnic node,” Tapis said.

The participants in the meeting approached the rules for the exploitation of the Dniester valleys. According to Iuliana Catarangiu, an expert at the National Environmental Center, who is also a member of the commission, these rules, for the time being, remain somewhat controversial topic. "At present, the rules for the exploitation of the Dniester River are an internal document of Ukraine. Our concern is that what happens to these rules on debits, which would be the benefits or the way in which Moldova's damages will be rewarded if these rules are not observed. The situation would be different if these rules would have international status, which is why it is currently advocating and negotiating the Moldovan side,” Catarangiu said.

According to the expert, all the problems that exist at present regarding the rules for the use of the hydrotechnic node and the protection of the Dniestre River are to be coordinated by a working group that will determine the alternatives suitable for the parties.

"It is very important the Ukrainian side to honor its commitments, and Moldova should not suffer as a result of the decrease of the water volume and the degradation of the Dniester River", the expert said.

Over the last 30 years, the Dniester River faces a number of problems related to the management of aquatic resources at cross-border level.