Russia graced by 12 seas, 3 great oceans
– : R. Muthu Kumar :-
After having failed to stop Russia’s advances against Ukraine through sanctions, the West has now embarked on a journey to try and isolate Russia in international fora. In this effort, the West recently prevented Russia’s re-election to the Council of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) for 2024-2025.
The International Maritime Organisation is an intergovernmental specialised agency of the United Nations. It deals with the fight against trade discrimination, and also adopts norms and standards for safety at sea and for the prevention of environmental pollution by ships. It monitors the freedom of navigation and the implementation of maritime conventions.
After losing its seat on the Executive Council of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Russia failed to secure re-election to the executive council of IMO. The London-based IMO is responsible for regulating the safety of international shipping, preventing pollution and managing other issues. It unites 175 member states. Russia, a long-time member of the IMO Council, was left in lurch after a secret ballot to elect 40 supervisory members.
It is a frantic and politicised campaign by America to keep Russia out of a key body that governs sea traffic.
The West’s attempts to isolate Russia have completely failed because President Vladimir Putin has a large number of different foreign partners, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said while addressing the upper house of the Russian parliament recently.
It is peretinent to note that Russia shapes their foreign policy agenda guided by their own priorities, respecting the recognised norms of international laws all these years.
The largest country in the world is Russia with a total area of 17,098,242 sq kms.
Russia is graced by 12 seas and three great oceans. Russia is connected with the Atlantic ocean through the Baltic Sea in the west and the Black Sea in the south. The Arctic Ocean and its seas including the White, Barents, Kara, Laptev, East‑Siberian Seas wash Russia’s shores in the north. The Black Sea is as large inland sea situated at the southeastern extremity of Europe. It is bordered by Ukraine to the north, Russia to the northeast, Georgia to the east, Turkey to the south, and Bulgaria and Romania to the west.
India enjoys the status of Russia’s closest friend. In October, a trial run of a ship was conducted between Chennai port in India and Vladivostok in Russia, in an effort to revive a trade route that existed during the USSR period.According to Oleg N Avdeev, consul general of the Russian Federation in Chennai, the round trip took only 17 days. This used to take 35-40 days between Indian ports and St Petersburg via the Suez Canal.“We are in the advanced stage of the Chennai-Vladivostok sea route becoming a reality Avdeev revealed. Russia always takes into account interests of partners who are ready to cooperate on the basis of mutual respect and respect for sovereign interest.s
The move to expel Russia from the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), which is a very important arm of the UN, can lead to major repercussions in world trade and also further hurt world peace.
As the biggest multilateral forum with an aim of maintaining global order, the UN should act neutrally. Russia is also a member of many international organisations, which of late have begun to impose sanctions in the bid to isolate and pressurise Moscow to tow the diktat of the West.
India as a peninsula, surrounded by seas on three sides, and Indian fishermen face multiple natural challenges. It will indeed be immature to say that India is ignorant of its maritime responsibilities and issues relating to the oceans surrounding the nation.
Similarly Russia is indeed a superpower in nautical trade and lifestyle! Russia has the largest reserves of natural gas and the second largest coal reserves in the world. It also has the world’s 8th largest oil reserves.
US and allies are unleashing the maritime strategy aimed at keeping Russia at bay! In the last two years, India has been exporting many consumer products to Russia and in return buying fuel. The inability to rein in Russia on the Ukraine is making the US and its allies desperate. Their desperation has been further enhanced by Russia gaining support from friendly countries such as India – Russia has given India the option of purchasing cruce oil at special rates either in rupee or rouble. This has shaken the US hegemony and dollar trade.
The US is now reluctant to help Ukraine and it’s NATO bid has fizzled out. To divert attention, the US is shifting its focus to Israel! And also creating new hurdles for Russia. The expulsion from the IMO has infuriated Russia as its shipping industry faces a threat.
The expulsion from the international maritime system will surely infuriate Russia. Kremlin is expected to retaliate and the world is waiting with abject curiosity on what Russia will do to counter the latest move of US and its allies.
But one point that is very clearly is that right now the American global authority is in jitters!
Thee UN General Assembly also passed a resolution calling for a humanitarian ceasefire by a vote of 153 in favour, 10 against and 23 abstentions. The non-binding vote is largely symbolic but it serves as an important barometer of world opinion. None of the major powers joined Israel and the United States in their opposition to the ceasefire.
Australia, Canada considered close ally of America voted in favour of a non-binding resolution at the United Nations.
Australia’s Ambassador to the United Nations, James Larsen, explained the rationale behind voting in favour of an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza while also voting in favour of both the US and Austria’s amendments that failed to pass as it did not obtain the required two-thirds majority.
The vote at the UN General Assembly represents a shift in Canada’s long-standing position of siding with Israel on major resolutions at the international body and arguing the Jewish state is unfairly called out in global fora.
