Sergey Pylin, General Director of FSUE “Rosmorport”, took part in a joint meeting of the Board of the Federal Agency for Marine and River Transport (Rosmorrechflot) and the Rosmorrechflot Public Council to summarize the results of maritime and inland water transport in 2023.

The event was chaired by Boris Tashimov, Acting Head of Rosmorrechflot. The meeting was attended by Igor Levitin, Assistant to President of Russia, Aleksandr Yurchik, Deputy Head of the Department of the President of the Russian Federation for Ensuring the Activities of the State Council of the Russian Federation, Aleksandr Poshivay, Deputy Minister of Transport of Russia, and Viktor Deryabkin, Deputy of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation.

Igor Levitin addressed the participants of the board with a welcoming speech, emphasizing that over the past year great work was done to support transport and logistics chains in view of the difficulties that have arisen due to the sanctions imposed by unfriendly states.

“You increase your activities in seaports, and we see the coordinated work of the federal agency, FSUE “Rosmorport”, private companies, <...> you actively participate in the development of international transportation corridors. I would especially like to thank you for your work on the development of the North-South corridor, where we need to increase transportation volumes”, Igor Levitin said to the staff of Rosmorrechflot and organizations subordinate to the agency.

The Assistant to the Head of State also thanked Rosmorrechflot for its work in the seaports of Crimea, the Kaliningrad Region, and in the new territories of the Russian Federation.

Aleksandr Poshivay, Deputy Minister of Transport of Russia, announced in his speech the main industry indicators for 2023. Cargo turnover in the seaports over the past year was not only maintained, but even increased - this year it reached 883.8 million tons, representing a 5% rise compared to the indicator of 2022; among other things, transshipment of vital products - mineral fertilizers, grain, oil products - was increased. The capacity addition of the seaports in 2023 was 68.2 million tons, and the total capacity reached 1.36 billion tons at the end of last year.

Aleksandr Poshivay emphasized that the Russian Ministry of Transport is focused on ensuring transport accessibility of the Kaliningrad Region and Crimea, noticing the role of FSUE “Rosmorport” in ensuring the smooth operation of the Kerch crossing.

Boris Tashimov reported on the results of marine and inland waterway transport in 2023, tasks for 2024 and for the medium term until 2026. Among the results of 2023, he noted the growth of cargo transshipment in the seaports, emphasizing the increased cargo turnover in the seaports of the Caspian basin.

“Here we can talk about the expanding opportunities of the North-South transportation corridor. The most important infrastructure facility it features is the Volga-Caspian Sea Shipping Canal. One of the key tasks for the development of the port infrastructure of the Astrakhan Region both last and this year is to expand its traffic capacity. In the 2023 navigation season, about 10 million cubic meters of dredging was required to ensure the passage of vessels with a draught of 4.5 meters. <...> For the current year we have a task to maintain the achieved results of canal draught. FSUE “Rosmorport” is to provide necessary works on repair dredging in conditions of high drifting and continuing decrease of the Caspian Sea level,” Boris Tashimov informed.

In his report the Acting Head of Rosmorrechflot highlighted some of the achievements within the Autonomous Navigation project. In September 2023, the FSUE “Rosmorport” ferries Marshal Rokossovsky and General Chernyakhovsky received Russia's first certificates of maritime autonomous and remotely operated surface vessels. The past year also saw the creation of a legal and regulatory framework in the field of autonomous navigation, which allows for legal regulation in the development and operation of autonomous vessels.

Boris Tashimov outlined the main areas of activity in 2024:

“We have a massive work to do in developing seaports, primarily through highly efficient specialized terminals. Construction of the supporting fleet and introduction of digital technologies should be continued. It is necessary to ensure the fulfillment of roadmap activities, to put all efforts to achieve the targets stipulated by strategic documents and federal projects.”

The board meeting traditionally included awarding the winners of the Industry Leader annual contest of the Federal Marine and River Transport Agency based on the results of 2023, where FSUE “Rosmorport” was awarded in two categories: “Best organization providing navigation services (maritime/river)” and “Best organization performing the functions of a state customer in the field of maritime and river transport”.

Departmental awards of the Ministry of Transport of Russia and Rosmorrechflot were presented to distinguished employees of water transport organizations. Tatyana Bykova, head of the office management department of FSUE “Rosmorport”, was awarded the badge “Honorary Transport Worker of Russia” for her achievements and many years of conscientious work in transport.

Andrey Kuropyatnikov, Head of FSUE “Morsvyazsputnik”, made a report on the history of the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System at the end of the board, noting the implemented and planned activities of FSUE “Rosmorport” in pursuance of the Decree of the President of Russia “On Measures to Ensure Technological Independence and Security of the Critical Information Infrastructure of the Russian Federation”.

“In December 2023, the technical re-equipment of the sea area A2 GDMSS Kaliningrad coast station was completed. As a result, a fully domestic software and hardware complex complying with national and international requirements has been deployed,” Andrey Kuropyatnikov said. “By the end of 2024, the NAVTEX coast station in Astrakhan and sea areas A1, A2 and NAVTEX coast stations in the seaport of Magadan will be switched to domestic software. In addition, work on switching of coastal facilities on Sakhalin Island to domestic software is underway. The work is to be completed is 2025. The existing plan for the transfer of GDMSS coastal facilities to domestic software is scheduled until 2027”.