The Caspian littoral states have decided to adopt a unified mode for port state control (PSC) inspections in ports in the region, equivalent to this of the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, according to an official statement by Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Investment and Development.
In view of this, the Republic of Kazakhstan is working with respective offices of other countries on the provisions for the implementation of PSC.
This unified approach is expected to boost safety of ships and prevent the use of sub-standard vessels in the region. The ministry expects this will contribute to the reduction of sea disasters, enhancing the safety of crew members, passengers, vessels and cargo.
At the same time, the new approach will result in a reduction of inspections to the ships that are in good technical condition, and will increase the efficiency of inspecting transport that is potentially dangerous from a safety point of view.
Caspian Sea is located between Europe and Asia, bounded by Kazakhstan, Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran, and Turkmenistan. Currently about 1600 marine vessels are being used in the Caspian Sea, 320 of which carry the flag of Kazakhstan. In 2017, approximately 2,000 vessels entered Kazakhstan’s ports.