Remarks by Ambassador Volodymyr Yelchenko in response to the statement by the delegation of Russia

· In response to the statement by the delegation of Russia, I would like to put on record the following points:

· The territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea as of today remains under occupation of the Russian Federation and under international law it is the occupying power that bears full responsibility for the consequences of its illegal actions.

· The statement of the Russian delegation earlier in this chamber is a testament to the inability of the Russian occupation authorities to address in any satisfactory manner the essential needs of the local population. Instead of owning up to its unlawful actions and attempting to correct the wrongs it committed, the Russian sides opted to use the issue of water supply in Crimea as a propaganda tool.

· If the Russian Federation is sincerely concerned about the issue it raised, it can start by stopping diversion of scarce water resources in Crimea to feed the needs of the growing military infrastructure and military personnel in the peninsula.

· The next logical step would be to start the process of de-occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and city of Sevastopol, thus contributing in a positive way to addressing the issue of water of availability in Crimea.