2003 - ANNIVERSARY YEAR OF THE RUSSIAN MARITIME REGISTER OF SHIPPING

Russian MaritimeRegister of Shipping on its 90th year since the date of establishment continues to strengthen its international position being one of world's leading classified ship communities.

In 1998 the Russian Register acted as initiator of calling the 1st International conference on problems of substandard navigation. This year on October 15-16 VI International seminar on problems of substatianory navigation was held in St.-Petersburg (in Anichkoviy palace). This seminar appeared the most representative. Suffice it to say that the Minister of Transport of Russia Mr. Frank S.O opened the seminar by his statement, general secretary of the IMO (International Marine Organization) Mr. е.е.Mitropoulos, admiral; director of the Transport Department of the European committee Mr. F.Karamitsos, representative of the USA Coastal protection Mr. T.H.Gilmour, rear-admiral; representatives of marine administrations of Germany, Malta, Finland, Denmark and other countries, and also representatives of associations of the shipowners, such, as BIMCO, INTERTANKO; representative of the club insurers of UK P and I CLUB, representatives of the Paris and Tokyo Memorandums (port control of ports of the European and Asian region) took part at the seminar and gave recommendation to the shipowners on how to avoid the substandard. There were cited examples when a ship fully meeting the standards turns into a substandard, in case it was completed by unqualified staff ("human factor"). Unfortunately, there were no Azerbaijani representatives at this, however at the previous seminars, though invitation cards had been sent around.

This year the Russian Register is Azerbaijan also marking its 80th anniversary, since the Baku bureau of the Russian Register was opened in 1923. We actively participate in the repair and modernization operations of such vessels as crane vessel "AZERBAIJAN", pipelining vessel "ISRAFIL HUSEYNOV", diving boat "ACADEMICIAN TOFIG ISMAYILOV". All these boats are intended for the installation of new stationary oil-extracting platforms. Thus Russian Register introduces its share of participation to the development of sea deposits of the Azerbaijan sector of the Caspian.

As was already informed, in 2000 by the order of the head of the Russian Government it is entrusted to the Russian Register to carry out technical supervision over observance of safety norms and prevention of the sea pollution at designing, construction and operation of sea stationary platforms. In 2001 the Register issued "Rules of classification, construction and equipment of floating drilling rigs (FDR) and marine stationary platforms (MSP)". These "Rules..." are issued in two languages - Russian and English. The Register introduced FDR technical supervision from the moment of their origin, and now Register is ready to present this service - MSP technical supervision - to the clients in Azerbaijan.

The year 2003 is significant for Azerbaijan for the presidential elections held on October 15. Employees of the Russian Register in the AR are by overwhelming majority Azerbaijan citizens. All of them have taken active part in the elections and supported the candidate Ilham Aliyev - worthy successor of his father's course.

We hope that the newly formed Government, Ministry of Transport will as well henceforth develop sea transport of Azerbaijan in accordance with international standards. Russian Maritime Register of Shipping from its part will as before render feasible help to provide safety of vessels floating under the banner of the Azerbaijan Republic.

Materials are kindly presented by the chairman of board of the JSC "Russian Maritime Register of Shipping in Azerbaijan" Dmitriy A.Shestakov