Amendments approved for coastwise shipping activities by foreign-flagged ships
Icebreaking operations are excluded from the list of coastwise shipping activities
Federal Marine and River Transport Agency (Rosmorrechflot) says amendments into RF Government Decree on coastwise shipping activities of foreign-flagged ships have been improved. The document is available on the official portal for legal documents.
According to the amendments, foreign-flagged ships not included into any Russian register can perform one-time coastwise shipping operations in case of absence or insufficiency of dedicated domestic ships.
The document also specifies new types of work for which coastwise shipping is allowed. Among them are exploration and development of mineral resources within internal sea waters and territorial waters of the Russian Federation.
Icebreaking, search, rescue and towing operations are excluded from the list of works. The status of hydraulic engineering, underwater and other related works as well as research of resources and recovery of sunken assets has been retained.
In early March, President of Russia Vladimir Putin signed the Federal Law No 34-FL dated 01.03.2020 “On introduction of amendments into Article 4 of the Merchant Shipping Code of the Russian Federation” (on clarification of a possibility and arrangements for using foreign-flagged ships while conducting certain merchant shipping activities).
According to Clause 1 of MSC Article 4, foreign-flagged ships can be involved in some activities if it is foreseen by international treaties of the Russian Federation, MSC and RF Government Decrees issued in pursuance of them.
Related link:
RF President signs amendments into MSC’s Article 4 on involvement of foreign-flagged ships >>>>
