OREANDA-NEWS. Sovcomflot Group held its 12th Business Partners Conference in Saint-Petersburg. The meeting was timed to coincide with the company’s anniversary – marking 25 years since its foundation as a joint stock enterprise.

 Quarter of a century ago in June 1988, Sovcomflot JSC was founded on the basis of an "all-Union self-financing foreign-trade association" and became one of the first joint stock companies in the history of the USSR and modern Russia.

SCF Business Partners Conference is traditionally attended by members of the company’s board of directors and the representatives of Russian ministries and government agencies, leading Russian and international oil & gas companies, banks, investment and insurance companies, shipping and shipbuilding enterprises, analytics centres and organisations.

 Guests of honour at the conference included: Viktor Olerskiy – Russian Deputy Minister of Transport, Oleg Markov – Vice-governor of Saint-Petersburg, Artur Chilingarov – special presidential representative for international cooperation in the Arctic & Antarctic and First Vice-president of the Russian Geographical Society, and others.

 Upon opening the SCF Business Partners Conference, OAO Sovcomflot President Sergey Frank made the following announcement:

 “25 years ago in June 1988 Sovcomflot JSC was founded on the basis of an all-Union self-financing foreign-trade association and became one of the first joint stock companies in the history of modern Russia. The company’s non-specialised fleet had a combined deadweight of 1.6 million tonnes. Thanks to its correct choice of development strategy, Sovcomflot has gradually transformed from a medium-sized shipping company into a world leader in the sphere of maritime hydrocarbon transportation. Today, the company’s fleet is one of the largest in the world and has a total deadweight of over 12 million tonnes. The fleet includes specialised state-of-the-art vessels which are engaged in operations on large-scale energy projects in Russia and overseas. Our company employs over 9,000 specialists both ashore and at sea. As the leader of Russia’s merchant fleet, SCF is actively expanding its operations in new market segments both in energy shipping and offshore project support, setting high standards for maritime safety and quality of service. On behalf of the company’s management team, I would like to express our gratitude to our shareholders, clients and partners for their support and participation in bringing our plans to fruition.”

 Russian Deputy Minister of Transport Viktor Olerskiy read out a message of congratulations from Minister of Transport Maxim Sokolov, in which he highly praised the company’s contribution to the development and support of Russia’s maritime schools:

 “Today, Sovcomflot is the leading force in the Russian shipping industry. The enterprise effectively implements the targets set by its shareholders, one of which is to use OAO Sovcomflot as a foundation for the creation of a national contractor in the sphere of complex offshore project support. Sovcomflot has always been characterised by its effective strategy and team of top class specialists. The company pays great attention to the development of Russian maritime schools, increasing the appeal of the maritime profession. I would like to inform you that the Russian Ministry of Transport, OAO Sovcomflot and the international non-profit organisation Sail Training International are working together to organise a large international sailing tournament in May next year – Black Sea Tall Ship Regatta 2014. This will be the first regatta in history to host most of the world’s largest tall ships, including Russian A-class sailing vessels – Kruzenshtern, Mir, Nadezhda, Pallada and Sedov. The course will take the tall ships along the Black Sea coast with finishing lines at the ports of Sochi and Novorossiysk.”

 In his address, Artur Chilingarov – special presidential representative for international cooperation in the Arctic & Antarctic and First Vice-president of the Russian Geographical Society – drew attention to Sovcomflot’s role in developing the Arctic:

 “The work done by Sovcomflot Group in this area deserves the highest praise. Sovcomflot tanker crossings of the Northern Sea Route and the safe operation of its vessels engaged in sub-Arctic projects are unprecedented both in scale and potential. The results of this work prove the great potential of the Arctic and the strategic importance of new routes and technical solutions necessary for the development of oil and gas fields on the continental shelf of the Barents, Pechora and Kara seas, and the shipping of Arctic hydrocarbons to global markets. The Arctic has always been an area of special significance for Russia in terms of her geopolitical, defensive, economic, ecological and scientific interests. Today, the Arctic is also an area of international collaboration, the development of which is closely connected with the future of our country. The natural resources of the Arctic, which are only starting to be developed now, are in demand throughout the world and will serve future generations. Our most important task is to maintain the fragile ecological balance in the Arctic. We need a responsible, considered approach to the extraction of Arctic resources and this can and should act as a good incentive to develop new innovations and modern technologies. I am confident that Sovcomflot can fulfil its leading role in the provision of transportation for new Arctic projects.”

 The company’s grand 25th anniversary celebrations, including an awards ceremony for SCF captains, crew members and shore-based personnel, took place at OAO Sovcomflot headquarters in Saint-Petersburg at 3 Moyka River Embankment.