Our programme has already told about a transport exhibition-conference «Transtek - 2008», which took place in St. Petersburg in the beginning of the month. Within the forum two sessions were held in "Lenexpo" conference halls; at the sessions questions of further development of fleet and port infrastructure of Russia were discussed.
Anatoly Kolodkin, judge of UN International tribunal on marine law:-
"The Association of international marine law was founded forty years ago. It unites practical workers of fleet – transport, fishing, naval fleets; diplomats – employees of Ministries for Foreign Affairs, scientists-lawyers, pupils – I mean post-graduate students, students and their teachers… "
At a conference of the Association of marine law a theme of legal maintenance of boundaries of a continental shelf was raised. This is a complicated issue that will require a lot of further efforts and time for its solution.
Anatoly Kolodkin, judge of UN International tribunal on marine law:-
"We work in the Organization of the United Nations. There a commission on continental shelf boundaries exists. It is known on December 20, 2001 Russia issued to it a so-called submission regarding expansion of shelf’s spatial limits to increase possibility of natural resources extraction – oil, gas etc. The commission reviewed the submission and told to bring more detailed data".
At the same time a conference was held by an initiative of the Russian ship-owners union.
Vladimir Zubkov, deputy director of North-West subsidiary of Russian ship-owners union:-
"There are a lot of problems at big transport; and you perfectly understand that sea, water transport is the second cheapest after pipeline. It should be remembered. Therefore, reducing a transport component of an end-product price is our economy, a personal budget of any citizen".
Issues raised at this conference have a long-term prospect. Regulation of relations between authorities and business is necessary not only for further development of the field, but also to provide safety for both operating parties and environment. And finally to provide safety for all of us, since in one way or another all of us are involved in this process, at least and as consumers.
Vitaly Klyuev, deputy director of Department of state policy in the field of sea and river transport:-
"Safety of people, cargoes, vessels, ports, and environment is extremely important in the conditions of increasing cargo traffic, vessel traffic, especially by transportation of dangerous cargoes: oil, oil products. And we speak about it today".