State-aggressor shall not determine maritime safety standards, says Oleksii Kuleba at the opening of the 34th IMO Assembly

The 34th session of the International Maritime Organisation Assembly has begun in London. Deputy Prime Minister for the Restoration of Ukraine – Minister for Communities and Territories Development Oleksii Kuleba took part in the opening ceremony online and presented Ukraine's position on threats to international maritime safety.

On 28 November, the member states of the International Maritime Organisation shall vote on the composition of the Council, the body that shapes global maritime security policy. Oleksii Kuleba called on IMO member states to prevent russia from being elected to the Council of the Organisation.

"russia is attacking ports, merchant ships and navigation systems. It is deliberately turning the Black and Azov Seas into zones of terror. Ukrainian sailors continue to work under constant threats, and the state is doing everything to maintain safe navigation. I urge IMO member states not to support russia's election to the Council. A country that kills sailors and destroys infrastructure has no right to set global maritime safety standards," said the Deputy Prime Minister for the Restoration of Ukraine.

Oleksii Kuleba cited specific examples of russian attacks: the shelling of the port of Chornomorsk, which killed Ukrainian sailors; the destruction of the dredger Ingulsky in the port of Izmail; the arson of a gas tanker flying the Turkish flag; the destruction of shipbuilding infrastructure in Kiliya; and the blocking of foreign ships in the Mykolaiv region. He also recalled the consequences of the explosion of the Kakhovka dam, which made it impossible to navigate rivers to the sea.

Ukraine stressed the importance of a responsible approach to the election of the IMO Council. This is a key body that sets international standards for safety at sea and coordinates the work of member states in the field of navigation rules, environmental requirements and the protection of human life at sea.

"The election of russia to the Council will send a signal of impunity to a state that deliberately destroys the principles of freedom of navigation. The IMO Council sets global norms and standards in the field of maritime safety, and trust in this body must remain unconditional," Oleksii Kuleba emphasised.

It should be mentioned that in 2023, at the 33rd IMO Assembly, russia was not elected to the Council for the first time due to its aggression against Ukraine and systematic violations of maritime law.