The Federation Council has set up a Committee on national marine policy
The Federation Council has today set up a Committee on national marine policy, PRIME-TASS reports. The competence of the new Committee covers legislative support of state policy in research, exploration and use of the World Ocean "in the interest of safety, stable economic and social development of RF". The Committee is also charged with issues of activities held in the territorial waters and on the continental shelf, operation of sea and river transport, ports, inland waterways. The Committee's activities are also to include development and monitoring of implementation of federal and regional special-purpose programs in marine sector, as well as legislative support of naval activities. Provisional Committee on national marine policy operating under Federation Council is headed today by admiral Vyacheslav Popov, deputy chairman of the Committee on defense and safety. According to Sergei Mironov, speaker of the Federation Council, this Committee’s activities are very important and it is worthy of being "permanent subdivision" of the Council.