Russia’s official TASS news agency reported that Romania has banned Russian-flagged ships from entering the Black Sea and Danube ports from Sunday.
The ban is in line with the sanctions imposed by the European Union on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine on February 24, according to the Romanian Maritime Administration.
“From April 17, 2022, at 00:00, it is prohibited to enter into Romanian ports any ship registered under the Russian flag, including ships that have changed the Russian flag to the flag of any other country or who have changed their registration in Russia, registration in any other country after 24 February 2022 ”, the Romanian authority announced.
The ban also applies to yachts and pleasure boats, according to the same source, citing Romanian TV and the Russian Agency.
An exception will be made for ships whose crews require humanitarian assistance or ships that transport energy, agricultural and food products to EU countries only.
With this decision, Romania implements the measures adopted by the European Union on March 8, tightening sanctions against Russia.
The new package also includes a ban on Russian and Belarusian road freight operators in the European Union, also excluding “agricultural and food products, humanitarian aid and energy”, according to the European Commission.
The fifth package of EU sanctions also includes a ban on imports of Russian coal and other solid fossil fuels, a ban on exports to Russia, especially high-tech goods, amounting to 10 billion euros, and new sanctions against banks.
Romania became a member of the European Union in 2007, along with Bulgaria, after the 2004 enlargement, which included Slovenia, Slovakia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, the Czech Republic and Cyprus.
In addition to the restrictive measures imposed by the European Union, Russia has been subject to economic and financial sanctions from countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, Japan or traditionally neutral Switzerland.
