ODESA, JULY, 21st, 2009, CONTEXT-PRICHERNOMORIE – Alyona Ashurkova, President of a Russian company National Container Company stated GE Illichivsk Merchant Sea Port illegally used their property, Context-Prichernomorie correspondent reports.

Ms. Ashurkova stated it today, 21 July, at a press-conference.

“The port has now come to physical violence. Thus, 15 July the port broke into the IT system belonging to us and practically broke it. In addition, the port, in spite of the court’s decision is using for their own purposes the property also belonging to us. We believe all the claims pronounced by the head of the port in our address are groundless and farfetched. We assure you and make a statement we are a decent investor and execute the agreement completely signed with the Republic of Ukraine, we intend to completely execute it further, until 2035. We are going to execute all our obligations”, — Ms. Ashurkova said.

INFORMATION: Illichivsk Merchant Sea Port is one of the ‘youngest’ on the Black Sea. The Port was erected in the Soviet period in 1960s mainly for sea trade with socialistic countries. It has railway and vehicle approaches connected with the country’s mains. There are several operating ferry-crossings: Illichivsk–Varna (Bulgary), Illichivsk–Poti and Illichivsk – Batumi (Georgia). Cargo operation complexes of the Port consisting of 28 berths having total length 5 thousand 500 metres are equipped with modern cargo-operating machinery.