BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 13. Turkmenistan actively participates in numerous programs of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), a source in the IMO told Trend.
"Over the past five years, Turkmenistan has participated in at least seven IMO capacity-building programs, covering issues such as oil pollution, seafarers’ safety, ballast water management, fishing safety, and the implementation of IMO Conventions," the source said.
The representative of the organization noted that the relevant state bodies in Turkmenistan constantly receive technical assistance from IMO.
"Relevant government authorities in Turkmenistan have been receiving technical assistance from the IMO through the dedicated regional program supporting the maritime development of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and Eastern Europe region since the early 1990s," the representative added.
At the same time, it was noted that many activities supported by the IMO to promote the development of maritime transport in Turkmenistan were in close partnership with the EU and various international organizations.
"Some of these activities have been delivered in close partnership with the EU, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Caspian Sea Environment Programme, and also the Oil Spill Preparedness Regional Initiative Caspian Sea - Black Sea - Central Eurasia (OSPRI)," the source said.
Meanwhile, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) is a specialized UN agency dealing with the regulation of international shipping, with the main task of developing and approving international standards and regulations in the fields of maritime safety, protection of the marine environment, and prevention of marine pollution, as well as regulating issues related to the efficiency of transportation and the rights of seafarers.
IMO also coordinates and supports cooperation between member states in these areas and conducts research and training aimed at improving the safety and environmental sustainability of maritime transport.
Moreover, the IMO approved Turkmenistan's accession to the International Convention on Civil Liability for Bunker Oil Pollution Damage (BUNKER-2001) in early February. This convention entered into force for Turkmenistan on April 23 of this year.
