4th International Seminar On Substandard Shipping Opens In Saint Petersburg

On Wednesday a cargo aircraft of the Ministry of Emergency Situations delivered to Ulan-Bator 1.5 million doses of foot-and-mouth vaccine for the vaccination of livestock and over 12 tons of milk powder for Mongolian stock-breeders as humanitarian aid. The two-day 4th International Seminar called "Substandard Shipping: Problems and Solutions. Introduction of Requirements as a Key Factor of Marine Safety and Pollution Prevention" starts in St. Petersburg on Wednesday. Substandard ships are vessels that do not fully meet requirements of international conventions. The Russian Maritime Shipping Register told RIA Novosti that over 200 experts will take part in the seminar. The experts include representatives of navigation companies, administrations in charge of sea monitoring from a number of European countries, ship service personnel training centres, and insurance companies from the CIS member-states and other countries. Representatives of the International Maritime Organisation, European Commission, U.S. Coast Guard, Marine and Coastguard Agency from the United Kingdom, Baltic and International Maritime Council, and others will also attend the seminar. The Russian Maritime Shipping Register has been organising international seminars since 1998.