New Delhi: A Ukrainian delegation led by its Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Trade Ms. Nataliya Mykolska, met Secretary, Ministry of Shipping Shri Ravikant in New Delhi yesterday to discuss the potential for developing sustainable partnership between the two countries in the area of shipbuilding.
Giving an overview of ship building industry in their country, the Ukrainian delegation invited senior officials of the Ministry of Shipping to visit Odessa and Kiev to study the logistic chain and shipbuilding yards in particular.
Secretary, Shipping Shri Ravikant invited Ukraine to send a group-cum-business delegation to visit Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL). CSL is one of the major civilian shipyards in India and has been amongst the biggest in the country. CSL follows an open process for empanelment of vendor and procurement is generally done through an open tender process. Secretary suggested that interested vendors from Ukraine may contact CSL for participating in such tendering process.
The issue of a MoU pending to be signed between the Ministry of Shipping, Government of India and the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine in the field of Maritime Transport were also discussed. Necessary approval for signing the MoU was obtained from the Indian side in April, 2013 but the MoU is yet to be signed. The Ukrainian Minister assured that she would ascertain the convenience of the Ukrainian side for having the said MoU signed at the earliest.
Secretary also sought the support of Ukraine on the issue of India’s candidature for election to the IMO Council under Category “B”. A formal request has already been sent to the Ukrainian Government through the Embassy of India in Kiev in this regard. The Ukrainian Minister responded positively and assured that concerned authorities in Ukraine would be informed.
The other members of the Ukrainian delegation were Ms. Olga Trofimtseva, Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, Dr..Igor Polikha, Ambassador of Ukraine in New Delhi, Ms. Ivan S.Konovalov, First Secretary, Embassy of Ukraine in New Delhi, Mr. Andre, First Secretary, Embassy of Ukraine in New Delhi and Mr. Oleksiy Ivanyuta, Chief of Sales Department, Energomashspetsstl. Senior officials of the Ministry of Shipping were present during the meeting.
