The 34th session of the Assembly of the International Maritime Organization has begun in London, where the Vice Prime Minister for the Reconstruction of Ukraine - Minister for Community and Territorial Development Oleksiy Kuleba made important remarks about maritime safety. This also concerned the prevention of the possible election of Russia to the Council - the body that defines global maritime safety policy.
According to Kuleba, the aggressor state cannot be a determinant of maritime safety standards, as it undermines the principles of freedom of navigation. Russian attacks on ports and commercial vessels, destruction of infrastructure and dredging vessels, as well as other acts of aggression pose a threat to safety at sea and to Ukrainian sailors who continue their work at risk.
“A country that kills sailors and destroys infrastructure cannot set standards for global maritime safety.”
“The election of Russia to the Council will signal impunity for a state that deliberately undermines the principles of freedom of navigation.”
The importance of elections to the IMO Council
Ukraine emphasizes the importance of a responsible approach to the elections of the IMO Council's composition. This body defines international safety standards at sea and coordinates the activities of member states in this area. Preventing Russia's election is an important guarantee for maintaining freedom of navigation and safety at sea.
It should be noted that in 2023, Russia did not enter the Council for the first time at the 33rd Assembly of the IMO due to its aggression against Ukraine and violations of maritime law. This is an important signal to the world about the inadmissibility of violations of safety and navigation at sea.
The session of the Assembly of the International Maritime Organization in London became a platform for the speech of the Ukrainian Vice Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba on maritime safety issues and the prevention of Russia's entry into the organization's Council as an aggressor country. Ukraine emphasized the importance of electing responsible candidates to the IMO Council to ensure safety and freedom of navigation at sea.