Press Service of the State Maritime Administration of the Republic of Azerbaijan
The implementation of the Twinning Project “Support to the State Maritime Administration to Improve Liability in Maritime Transport in the Republic of Azerbaijan” started on November 16, 2015. The main purpose of this project, the opening of which is being held today, is to increase the capacity of the State Maritime Administration in the implementation and application of liability procedures foreseen in the International Conventions concerning maritime safety and prevention of sea pollution in Azerbaijan in conjunction with the legislation of European Union. Furthermore, the relevant parts of regulatory legal acts that determine administrative liability in maritime transport, the Codes of the Republic of Azerbaijan on Administrative Offences, Criminal and Merchant Shipping are expected to be reviewed again and modified, and administrative procedures to be re-developed.
The Deputy Head of the State Maritime Administration Mr. Shahlar Mammadov, the Head of Cooperation Section of the Delegation of the European Union to Azerbaijan Mr. Jeroen Willems, the Project Leader from the Member State Mr. Benito Núñez Quintanilla, the Resident Twinning Advisor Mr. Fernando Juan Collado Simón, as well as the representatives of the Cabinet of Ministers, Ministry of Economy and Industry, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources and “Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping” CJSC participated in the kick-off meting. The Deputy Head of the State Maritime Administration Mr. Shahlar Mammadov noted during his speech that under the guidance of Mr. Ilham Aliyev, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan a number of significant works have been done for the development of the maritime transport in the country: “The construction of the New Shipyard, the Baku International Sea Trade Port, as well as the establishment of “Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping” CJSC through combining the Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping and the Caspian Sea Oil Fleet within SOCAR are important steps. The most important is that enough work has been done to approximate the national legislation in the field of maritime transport to the international standards”.
During his speech, the Head of Cooperation Section of the EU Delegation to Azerbaijan Mr. Jeroen Willems touched upon the relations between EU, which he represents, and our country, and stressed the importance of maritime safety and protection of marine environment. He also spoke about the EU funded projects such as SASEPOL within TRACECA and “TRACECA: Maritime Safety and Security II” projects of the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA). Mr. Jeroen Willems briefed also about the Twinning project “On Improvement of Maritime Safety, Security and Marine Environment Protection in the Republic of Azerbaijan” successfully completed in 2014, where the State Maritime Administration was the beneficiary.
After becoming a full-fledged member of the IMO, the United Nations’ specialized agency in May 1995, Azerbaijan ratified 18 conventions and 8 protocols. For coordination of these conventions with the national legislation, the Twinning project “On the Improvement of Maritime Safety, Security and Marine Environment Protection in the Republic of Azerbaijan” started on October 10, 2012 and was successfully completed on October 07, 2014.
This first Twinning project was successfully implemented and the draft law was developed together with the specialists on maritime transport of Spain, one of the EU Member States, and was adopted in the Milli Mejlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan on April 18, 2014. Pursuant to this law, the amendments were made to the “Regulations on the State Maritime Administration of the Republic of Azerbaijan” with the Decree No. 395 of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated 20 April 2006. The law to make modifications to the Codes of the Azerbaijan Republic on Merchant Shipping and Administrative Offences, as well as the regulations related to the environmental protection were drafted within the Twinning project.
The State Maritime Administration, which always prefers to study the experience of leading countries in the field of maritime transport, has great expectations from the Twinning projects implemented within the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Programs.
Press Service of the State Maritime Administration of the Republic of Azerbaijan
The implementation of the Twinning Project “Support to the State Maritime Administration to Improve Liability in Maritime Transport in the Republic of Azerbaijan” started on November 16, 2015. The main purpose of this project, the opening of which is being held today, is to increase the capacity of the State Maritime Administration in the implementation and application of liability procedures foreseen in the International Conventions concerning maritime safety and prevention of sea pollution in Azerbaijan in conjunction with the legislation of European Union. Furthermore, the relevant parts of regulatory legal acts that determine administrative liability in maritime transport, the Codes of the Republic of Azerbaijan on Administrative Offences, Criminal and Merchant Shipping are expected to be reviewed again and modified, and administrative procedures to be re-developed.
The Deputy Head of the State Maritime Administration Mr. Shahlar Mammadov, the Head of Cooperation Section of the Delegation of the European Union to Azerbaijan Mr. Jeroen Willems, the Project Leader from the Member State Mr. Benito Núñez Quintanilla, the Resident Twinning Advisor Mr. Fernando Juan Collado Simón, as well as the representatives of the Cabinet of Ministers, Ministry of Economy and Industry, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources and “Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping” CJSC participated in the kick-off meting. The Deputy Head of the State Maritime Administration Mr. Shahlar Mammadov noted during his speech that under the guidance of Mr. Ilham Aliyev, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan a number of significant works have been done for the development of the maritime transport in the country: “The construction of the New Shipyard, the Baku International Sea Trade Port, as well as the establishment of “Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping” CJSC through combining the Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping and the Caspian Sea Oil Fleet within SOCAR are important steps. The most important is that enough work has been done to approximate the national legislation in the field of maritime transport to the international standards”.
During his speech, the Head of Cooperation Section of the EU Delegation to Azerbaijan Mr. Jeroen Willems touched upon the relations between EU, which he represents, and our country, and stressed the importance of maritime safety and protection of marine environment. He also spoke about the EU funded projects such as SASEPOL within TRACECA and “TRACECA: Maritime Safety and Security II” projects of the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA). Mr. Jeroen Willems briefed also about the Twinning project “On Improvement of Maritime Safety, Security and Marine Environment Protection in the Republic of Azerbaijan” successfully completed in 2014, where the State Maritime Administration was the beneficiary.
After becoming a full-fledged member of the IMO, the United Nations’ specialized agency in May 1995, Azerbaijan ratified 18 conventions and 8 protocols. For coordination of these conventions with the national legislation, the Twinning project “On the Improvement of Maritime Safety, Security and Marine Environment Protection in the Republic of Azerbaijan” started on October 10, 2012 and was successfully completed on October 07, 2014.
This first Twinning project was successfully implemented and the draft law was developed together with the specialists on maritime transport of Spain, one of the EU Member States, and was adopted in the Milli Mejlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan on April 18, 2014. Pursuant to this law, the amendments were made to the “Regulations on the State Maritime Administration of the Republic of Azerbaijan” with the Decree No. 395 of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated 20 April 2006. The law to make modifications to the Codes of the Azerbaijan Republic on Merchant Shipping and Administrative Offences, as well as the regulations related to the environmental protection were drafted within the Twinning project.
The State Maritime Administration, which always prefers to study the experience of leading countries in the field of maritime transport, has great expectations from the Twinning projects implemented within the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Programs.