TRANSPORT MINISTERS OF TOKYO AND PARIS MEMO SIGNATORY COUNTRIES ARE HOLDING CONFERENCE

MOSCOW, November 1 (RIA Novosti) - The second conference of the transport ministers of the signatory countries of the Tokyo and Paris Memorandums of Understanding is taking place in Vancouver, Canada, on November 1-3. Russia is represented by Vyacheslan Ruksha, chief of the Federal Agency for Maritime and River Transport, and Alexei Klyavin, Deputy Director of the Transport Ministry's Department for State Policy in the Sphere of Railroad, Maritime and River Transport, reads the ministry's press release circulated on Monday.

The conferees are expected to adopt a declaration on expanding the scope of responsibility. The declaration will envisage tougher inspections of foreign vessels by port authorities and combined efforts of the member-countries' maritime administrations to bar ships that do not meet the convention-stipulated requirements from engaging in international navigation.

The Paris Memorandum is an agreement signed by the maritime administrations of 20 European countries and Canada. The Tokyo Memorandum is a similar agreement signed by the maritime administrations of 18 countries of the Pacific region.

Russia and Canada are parties to both the Paris and Tokyo Memos due to their geographical position. Russia is also party to the Black Sea Memorandum whose officials are attending the conference as observers.

Representatives of other regional port control agreements have also been invited to attend the conference as observers. The conference is being attended, in particular, by the chiefs of the International Maritime Organisation, the International Labour Organisation and a series of other influential organisations ensuring safe navigation and environment protection through insuring vessels against sea risks.