No environment for healthy competition in Caspian ports today – Victor Olersky
Today, there is no environment for healthy competition among enterprises operating in the sphere of sea shipping, Deputy Transport Minister Victor Olersky said today at the panel conference «Caspian region: issues of national interests and security of the Russian Federation».
“It should be noted that today, there is no environment for healthy competition in the region, - he said. - Discriminating tariffs are set up in the ports of some Caspian states for vessels flying the flags of other countries, servicing of foreign vessels is sometimes unreasonably delayed. The level of port dues for foreign vessels in some Caspian ports is 2-2.5 times higher. We think that creation of the environment necessary for healthy competition is in line with the interests of all Caspian states.”
The Deputy Minister reminded that the Caspian region is especially rich in resources, including considerable hydrocarbon reserves.
“The development of the Caspian Sea resources requires the development of maritime transport in general. In its turn it requires modernization and further improvement of port facilities, development and renovation of the fleet,” Olersky said.
However, international legal regulation of shipping applicable in the world ocean is not fully conformed to in the Caspian region. For example, UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982), International Convention for Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS-74), International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL 73/7), Load Line Convention are not applied at the Caspian Sea. Some Caspian states have not joined the above conventions.
“This, certainly, has its impact on safe and accident free shipping in the Caspian Sea, - Olersky emphasized. – We think that to overcome the existing problems Caspian states will have to come to and agreement on issues regulating shipping in the Caspian Sea.”
