He reminded that last week the 79th session of the IMO Committee on the Maritime Safety considered the document, submitted by Russia in March, this year. "The document represents a Russian analysis on the work of the Turkish system of vessels navigation in the straits of the Black Sea," he said.
Russia is concerned with the jam of Russian vessels at the entrance of the Black Sea straits. Sometimes the delays amount to five days with some 40 vessels awaiting, and it consequently may result in the economic losses as well as may pose a threat to ecology and security.
At the same time Mr. Ponomarev noted that within 10 months, following the Russia's presentation of the document, "there was achieved a definite progress in the consultations with the Turkish authorities."
"We dearly hope for the fruitful development of the bilateral consultations with the next round to be held at the end of January in Moscow," Mr. Ponomarev said. According to him, Russia proposed Turkey its assistance in training of operators as well as to share its experience in the sphere of vessels navigation system exploitation.
Meanwhile, with this year's adopted by the Russian and Turkish leaders declaration, Moscow and Ankara confirmed their adherence to the 1936 Convention, which regulates the transit of vessels in the Black Sea, and pointed to the importance of preserving of free naval transit trough the straits.
Russia abides with the concern of the Turkish part on the issue of the naval security provision and ecology protection. However, Moscow believes that the measures of the Turkish part may actually lead to the limitation of the naval transit freedom and the actual introduction of permissive regime of vessels transit.
Russian Industry and Energy Minister Viktor Khristenko told journalists on December 6 in Ankara that Russia and Turkey actively discuss the alternative routes for transportation of hydrocarbons round the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits. Meanwhile, the Russian government opines that the conditions and tariffs of the mentioned above alternative routes should correspond to the conditions in the straits of the Black Sea.
