The Majilis Deputies have passed the bill ratifying the Nairobi Convention on the Removal of Wrecks, 2007
Adopted under the aegis of the International Maritime Organization includes 53 Member States. The Convention’s aim is to introduce unified rules and procedures for rapid and effective removal of sunken vessels and elimination of consequences of maritime accidents, Kazinform reports.
The Convention sets out the obligation of the ship owner and the flag State to ensure financial reparation for damages in case a maritime accident occurs.
Speaking at the plenary session of the Majilis, Beibut Atamkulov, Minister of Industry and Infrastructure Development of Kazakhstan, said that greater vessel traffic on the Caspian Sea led to the ratification of the Convention.
Noting that Kazakhstan is the main cargo-generating country with around 31% of the total cargo turnover on the Caspian Sea are shipped through Aktau and Kuryk ports, the minister said that the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route is being actively developed. A new road ferry line with the Caspian ports of Iran has been opened. In 2021, it is planned to open a railway-ferry service with the Russian port of Makhachkala. Regular container lines between Aktau, Turkmenbashi ports and Iran’s Amirabad seaport are operational.
The minister also noted that vessel traffic to the Kazakh section of the Caspian Sea is to double by 2025, heightening the risk of maritime accidents. He added that the Convention’s ratification will create necessary conditions for protecting the interests of Kazakhstan in case of an accident.
