Russia announces its withdrawal from Ramsar Convention on Wetlands

MOSCOW, July 25. /TASS/. Russia is withdrawing from the international treaty on the use of wetlands, known as the Ramsar Convention, as it has exceeded its mandate and no longer serves its original tasks, the Russian foreign ministry said.

"Russia has launched internal procedures to withdraw from this international mechanism," the ministry said.

"Since 2022, the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat (Ramsar Convention) has gone far beyond its mandate, despite its purely applied mission. Our regular calls on the member countries and the Convention's Secretariat to stick to its sphere of competence have been blatantly sabotaged," the ministry explained.

"In such an environment, the use of the Convention's instruments to protect Russian wetlands looks to be impossible," it stressed, adding that after terminating its participation in the Ramsar Convention, Russia "will continue efforts to preserve and sustainably use its wetlands and improve its national legislative framework in this area."

The Ramsar Convention names 50 wetland sites in Russia, with many of them enjoying the highest conservation status being part of nature reserves.

The Convention was adopted in the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971 and ratified by the former Soviet Union in 1975.

Russia's Federation Council, or upper house of parliament, denounced this convention earlier in the day. According to the Russian lawmakers, bearing in mind that this international platform has been extensively politicized in recent years, Russia's further participation will have only negative consequences.