OREANDA-NEWS. August 06, 2012. Cooperation between Ukraine and the Russian Federation for ensuring safety of navigation in the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait will be more effective, because the parties are actively working on high-quality regulatory settlement of their relations in this area. Thus the Government of Ukraine approved the Agreement between the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the Russian Government on measures to ensure safety of navigation in the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait, which was signed by the parties on March 20 this year in Moscow.

The main purpose of the Agreement is to ensure safety of navigation in areas of heavy traffic in the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait, through the implementation by the Russian Federation and Ukraine of joint and coordinated actions.

In particular, among these important for improving the safety of navigation in the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait events are organization of data exchange automatic identification systems between states in order to monitor shipping in the region. Under the provisions of the Agreement, Ukraine and Russia will exchange such data on a pro bono basis. Preparation of technical-organizational and operational proposals for exchange of AIS data and their transmission to the relevant authorities of the contracting parties will be specially created joint working group of experts.

The document also provides for mutual recognition of national states of documents (certificates), confirmed the compliance of ships and crews to the national requirements of maritime safety and protection of the marine environment from pollution from ships for sailing areas in the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait.