IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim emphasized the leading role of Russia and RF Ministry of Transport in ensuring safe shipping in the water area of the Northern Sea Route. According to the Ministry’s press center, IMO Secretary-General said that when meeting with RF Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov in London on 27 November 2017.
The meeting was also attended by Victor Olersky, Deputy Minister of Transport – Head of the Federal Marine and River Transport Agency; Vitaly Klyuyev, Director of RF Transport Ministry's Department of State Policy for Maritime and River Transport; Yury Melenas, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to IMO.
Maxim Sokolov thanked IMO Secretary-General for his recent visit to Russia and presented him a photo book in commemoration of the trip as well as a model of Russia’s new generation icebreaker Arktika which is to be put into operation in 2019.
In his turn, Kitack Lim emphasized many years' experience of Russia in Arctic shipping and Russia’s considerable contribution to standard-setting activities of IMO. In appreciation of this contribution IMO Secretary-General presented Maxim Sokolov with a special copy of the Polar Code.
According to Kitack Lim, it is very important that Russia has a unified regulatory system in the Arctic that complies with international standards.
The meeting with the Russian Minister was the first official event held by Mr. Lim in the framework of the IMO Assembly which opened yesterday, 27 November 2017.
At the meeting, the parties agreed upon further strengthening of cooperation between Russia and IMO in the interest of improved global regulation and sustainable development of the maritime industry.