Ukraine called for preventing Russia from returning to the Council of the International Maritime Organization

Ukraine has called on member states to prevent Russia from returning to the Council of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

This was announced at a briefing at the Ministry of Development, dedicated to the issues of international shipping safety, the situation in the Black and Azov Seas, etc.

The event was attended by 50 representatives from 44 countries of the world and international organizations, including ambassadors, chargés d’affaires and deputy ambassadors of member states of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

During the event, First Deputy Minister Alyona Shkrum emphasized the importance of maintaining the unity of the international maritime community in the face of threats posed by Russian aggression.

“The Russian “shadow fleet” is a symbol of impunity that has no place in the modern world. Its activities threaten maritime safety and ecology, and most importantly, undermine the authority of the IMO as an organization that should guarantee the rule of law at sea. We call on partners to jointly respond to this danger,” Shkrum noted.

The official proposed specific ways to counter the “shadow fleet”. These measures are aimed at eliminating gaps in regulatory acts, strengthening compliance with requirements and ensuring compliance with international norms.

Deputy Minister Andriy Kashuba spoke about the scale of the destruction of Ukrainian port and other infrastructure, the consequences of the Russian Federation’s attacks on civilian vessels, and also emphasized the inadmissibility of violating international maritime law and the importance of joint international efforts to counteract the tolerance of Russian crimes in the maritime sphere.

During the briefing, the Ukrainian side called on IMO member states to support the principle of the supremacy of international maritime law and prevent the Russian Federation from being elected to category A of the IMO Council, which determines the key areas of the Organization’s work.

Deputy Minister Artem Rybchenko emphasized that preventing Russia from joining the IMO Council is not only a political but also a security issue. He drew attention to the fact that the decisions made by the Organization directly affect the stability of global shipping, therefore, there is no place in this organization for a country that violates the principles of international maritime law, environmental responsibility, and freedom of navigation.