Prof Glen Segell
(Research Fellow in the Department of Political Sciences and Governance at the University of the Free State – South Africa)
Copyright @ 2022 https://trendsresearch.org/insight/revisiting-the-montreux-convention-of-1936-in-light-of-the-current-conflict-between-russia-and-ukraine/
Posted at RIEAS web site on 1 November 2022.
Note: The article reflects the opinion of the author and not necessarily the views of the Research Institute for European and American Studies (RIEAS).
Abstract
This paper examines and revisits the Regime of the Straits, often known simply as the Montreux Convention (1936), which went into effect in 1937. It is an international agreement governing the Turkish Straits that connect the Black Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, and so to the rest of the world. The regime it established is once again on the agenda following the military attack launched by Russia on Ukraine on 24 February 2022. Shortly after the onset of hostilities, Russia initiated a naval blockade of Ukrainian ports. The Convention prevented countries outside of the Black Sea area from sending ships into the Black Sea to break the blockade. In July, an agreement brokered by the United Nations was reached for limited exports of some products, especially grain, through three Ukrainian ports. There was an urgent need for this given that many countries worldwide rely on this grain and that without it hundreds of millions would starve. ... Read more