Russia’s Transportation Ministry is set to prepare and release before the end of March 2012 the new Regulations of sailings of non-commercial foreign-flagged vessels on the inland waterways of Russia (Russia's IWW), the Deputy Minister Viktor Olersky told the Association of Shipping Companies (ASC) meeting in Moscow.
According to the bill, the navigation on Russian inland waterways of foreign flag vessels in the sport, culture, recreational purposes with not more than 18 people onboard, including at least 12 passengers and the crew, is carried out in accordance with the rules of navigation on IWW of such vessels established by the Government of the Russian Federation.
The current procedure that usually takes at least 3 months for granting access of sporting and recreational vessels under the flags of foreign countries to inland waterway implies a special permit in the form of a Russian government’s decree and with the concurrence of 11 ministries and departments including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Federal Security Service, the Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Agriculture.
The bill passed three readings in May and June last year and finally approved by Russia’s State Duma.