Government to discuss registration of ships under Moldovan flag

The procedure of registering ships under the Moldovan flag will be discussed at the Government meeting today, August 15. Prime Minister Vlad Filat declared that the procedure must be revised, Info-Prim Neo. “A mere functionary from the Ministry cannot decide by himself which ships have the right to sail under the Moldovan flag. Such decisions must be adopted in conditions of maximum transparency and should be coordinated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, as they can cause problems in our relationship with foreign partners and can harm Moldova’s image abroad”, the Prime Minister told the press. Vlad Filat added that Moldova managed to avoid an international scandal thanks to the notification of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, after which the Ministry of Transports and Road Infrastructure decided to cancel the permission granted to 12 Iranian ships to sail under the Moldovan flag. A Maltese daily wrote at the beginning of the week that at least 8 Iranian oil-tankers were allowed to sail under the Moldovan flag. The Moldovan authorities then confirmed that 12 Iranian ships had been registered under the Moldovan flag between May and July, but the permission was withdrawn when it was found that the ships were under the effect of western sanctions against Iran. The EU embargo on Iranian oil came to effect on July 1. According to the agreement, the import of crude oil from Iran is forbidden on the territory of EU countries.