IMO strengthens technical assistance for the operation of the Ukrainian maritime corridor

At the 133rd session of the IMO, Ukraine called for the introduction of constant monitoring of the security situation in the Black Sea-Azov region.

This was stated by the head of the Shipping Administration, Yevhenii Ignatenko.

Ukraine’s position was supported by Australia, Canada, the Republic of Korea, Norway, the United States of America, Japan, and Spain on behalf of the EU.

Moreover, France, the European Commission, and the United Kingdom announced the allocation of a total of 400 thousand euros to a special fund for technical cooperation between Ukraine and the IMO.

All members of the Council and observers, including traditional partners of the aggressor state, refused to support the speech of the Russian delegation.

Summing up the discussion of the Ukrainian position, the Council instructed the Secretariat to develop a clear plan for technical cooperation with Ukraine. Regularly informing the Organization’s member states about the security situation in the Black Sea, the Sea of ​​Azov and the Kerch Strait – similar to monitoring threats to merchant shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden – has also become a key requirement.

Reference. Resolution A.1183(33) was adopted at the 33rd session of the IMO Assembly in December 2023. In it, the Organization highly appreciated the creation of a special maritime corridor in the Black Sea and instructed to conduct an audit of the needs to improve its work. Russia lost its voting rights in the IMO Council as a result of the meeting.

Earlier, USM reported that a first deputy head had been appointed to the Shipping Administration.