October 8, Minister of National Defence Rasa Juknevičienė and Transport Minister of the Russian Federation Igor Levitin will sign an agreement between the Governments of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Lithuania on joint actions of preventing pollution of the Baltic Sea with oil and other hazardous materials.
October 8, Minister of National Defence Rasa Juknevičienė and Transport Minister of the Russian Federation Igor Levitin will sign an agreement between the Governments of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Lithuania on joint actions of preventing pollution of the Baltic Sea with oil and other hazardous materials.
By the agreement Governments of Lithuania and Russia settle to coordinate their efforts and take up measures to avoid and fight pollution, to prevent harm in the Baltic Sea region and to ensure preservation of the object of the world's heritage - the Curonian Spit.
The agreement covers cooperation between capacious institutions and responsible services of Lithuania and Russia while providing response to pollution incidents, and establishes areas of responsibility in the Baltic Sea where the agreeing states are to provide response in case of an incident.
Elimination of oil and other hazardous materials pollution incidents in the Baltic Sea area in Lithuania is in the responsibility of the Lithuanian Naval Force Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in charge of organisation, coordination and supervision of elimination works of pollution incidents in the Baltic Sea area as well as conduct of such works in the sea area (except inland waters) since the beginning of 2009. Other governmental institutions of Lithuania may be invoked to support the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre while conducting works of elimination of pollution incidents in the sea area.
The agreement of cooperation between Lithuanian and Russian Governments was induced by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee suggestion to Russia and Lithuania to establish a joint action plan for response to pollution incidents in the Baltic Sea.
According to the provisions of the International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Co-operation, 1990 (OPRC Convention) parties to the Convention are recommended to sign bilateral or multilateral international contracts on preparedness and actions in case of an oil pollution incident as soon as it was possible.
Besides, Helsinki Convention 1992 „On the Baltic Marine Environment Protection" binds parties to the Convention to divide by agreements regions of the Baltic Sea in which they would provide response in case of a significant pollution incident.