Signing of an association agreement between the European Union and any state will not prejudice Russia’s interests in the sphere of marine and inland water transport but will lead to deterioration of the competitive position of a party state’s national sea fleet.

If the Crimea joins Russia, the latter can obtain the control over large offshore fields in the Black Sea. In case of the control over the rest Black Sea coast of Ukraine, Russia will get deepwater ports with the their terminals allowing it master a considerable part of the Black Sea logistics.

Intensive development of Russia’s port and offshore infrastructure stirs up environmental issues. The experts and market participants believe it is necessary to improve the legislation dealing with the responce to emergency oil spills, responsibility of owners of neglected vessels, ecological expertise etc.

The headquarters of Saint-Petersburg Government on lowering of administrative barriers suspects container terminals and shipping lines of cartel agreement. However, experts say the rates in the North West ports are lower as compared with the Far East ones which see the boosting container flow now.

It was reported in mid-February that Summa Group had consolidated 100% of the project for construction of an oil terminal in the Port of Rotterdam by buying out the 25% share that belonged to the Dutch-Malaysian VTTI. Rosneft may become Summa's new partner in the project. We have taken a look into why a Russian state company might be interested in such a project, and if any potential pitfalls lie in store for Rosneft in Rotterdam.

Privatization of Sovcomflot OJSC is expected in the second half of 2014. Analysts say that despite poor market conditions, the Company’s shares will be attractive.

Russia expects over 170 mln cbm to be dredged in 2014-17. This large-scale dredging cannot be performed without foreign companies which actually prevail in Russia’s dredging market today.

We have recently written about Russia’s decision to speed up the construction of a bridge over the Kerch Strait amid the unrest in Ukraine. However, the Crimea is also a sphere of interest for China having ambitious plans to develop a raw-material, logistic and, probably, naval base there.

Last year saw an attempt to introduce new “rules of playing” at the bunkering market of Russia. It was simultaneously made by the Customs and Rosneft in the name of the company President Igor Sechin. Both initiatives restrain competition and the unauthorized move of the Customs was opposed by the Federal Antimonopoly Service.

Amid dissolution of Ukraine, Russia has “recalled” the project on construction of a bridge over the Kerch Strait which was conceived as far back as at the time of … the Third Reich. The project is valued at $3 bln.