Romanian Principalities and their right of signing conventions: the case of the Joint Commission of the Prut River Cover Image
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Obţinerea dreptului Principatelor Române de a încheia convenţii: înfiinţarea Comisiei Mixte a Prutului
Romanian Principalities and their right of signing conventions: the case of the Joint Commission of the Prut River

Author(s): Theodor Smeu
Subject(s): History, 19th Century
Published by: Editura Universităţii »Alexandru Ioan Cuza« din Iaşi
Keywords: Romanian Principalities; river navigation; Prut River; Russia; Austria.

Summary/Abstract: Using their strategic position, the Romanian Principalities forced Austria and Ottoman Empire to recognize their right of signing conventions. When the neighbor powers intended to solve a territorial or a technical problem they needed to ask also the Romanians. To develop the grain trade in Moldavia a navigation association for the Prut River was created, in 1861. From the same reason and in the same year the government hired a foreign engineer to analyze the navigation projects and to establish a path for development. The engineer indicated that a more useful convention will be one signed with Russia. In 1864, the Romanian Principalities started to negotiate a convention to regularize the navigation on the Prut River, first with Russia and later with Austria. The convention was signed after more than two years on December 3/15, 1866 and stipulated the appointing of a commission for navigation. The convention was ratified in the spring of 1869 and the first meeting of the Joint Commission of the Prut River took place on September 21/October 3 1870, between the battle of Sedan and the denunciation of the Paris Treaty (1856) by Russia. The negotiations, signing and ratification of the convention and the appointing of the commission took place in secret to avoid the possible complications resulted from the international status of the Principalities. Joint Commission of the Prut River was the fourth international commission and the first who had permanent character.

  • Issue Year: 2015
  • Issue No: 61
  • Page Range: 265-281
  • Page Count: 17
  • Language: Romanian