On 18 March 2025, during the working visit of the IMO Secretary General to Odesa, the implementation of IMO Assembly Resolution A. 1183(33) of 4 December 2023 ‘The impact of the russian armed invasion of Ukraine on international shipping’ was discussed.
The main topics were the provision of technical assistance to Ukraine in the implementation of IMO instruments and regular reporting on monitoring the situation in the Black Sea, the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait in connection with russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Mykola Kravchuk thanked the Secretary-General for his personal involvement in the rescue of three Ukrainians from the GALAXY LEADER vessel seized by the Houthis, as well as for prioritising the conservation of oceans and marine resources in 2025 to implement the 14th UN Sustainable Development Goal.
The Shipping Administration expressed its readiness to cooperate with IMO in overcoming the humanitarian and environmental consequences of russian aggression, protecting seafarers and civilian maritime workers, evacuating blocked vessels from closed Ukrainian seaports, and countering the global threat to the safety of international shipping - the operation of the ‘shadow fleet’.
Arsenio Dominguez welcomed the efforts of the Shipping Administration in bridging the gender gap in the maritime industry and provided recommendations for more effective cooperation with IMO in terms of informing Member States about the situation at sea.
