GREETINGS FROM DIRECTOR-GENERAL

       First of all, I would like to extend my warmest greetings to You!

       Once we referred to Khuvsgul Lake as “Dalai”, the term “Ocean” doesn’t feel so remote to us, Mongolians. In the past, the initial boat set sail on Khuvsgul Lake back in 1910. It’s widely believed that Mongolia’s inland water transportation industry took a significant step forward in 1952 when it assumed complete authority over independent inland waterway operations.

       Consecutive administrations and esteemed diplomats of Mongolia have not merely cultivated the realm of inland waterway transportation but have also dedicated special focus to engaging with and conducting activities on the open seas. Consequently, Mongolia has endorsed over 30 significant conventions within the maritime domain and is actively striving to put them into practice.

       Furthermore, the Mongolian Parliament approved the inaugural Maritime Law of Mongolia in 1999 and began to conduct open ship registry in 2003. The autonomous establishment of the Mongolia Maritime Administration followed suit in 2007 through Order No. 174, issued by the Minister of Roads, Transport, and Tourism of Mongolia.

       At present, our Administration is engaged in four primary domains: the registration and oversight of ships, maritime transport, port management including dry ports, and the registration and monitoring of inland waterway transport.

       A selection of significant undertakings and accomplishments achieved within this timeframe encompass: the creation of a collaborative maritime transport and port utilization venture with the Republic of Korea, the successful culmination and dissemination of all-encompassing studies pertaining to the transportation of Mongolian goods to tertiary markets via the seaports of neighboring nations, and the establishment of our representative office at China’s Jinzhou port.  

       Currently, more than 200 ships are registered in the ship registry of Mongolia, and relevant inspections are being carried out by appointing inspectors from internationally recognized organizations and flag state. One of our important achievements was the introduction of the long-range identification and tracking system to our ship registry control.

       In connection with the approval of the renewed version of the Law on Waterway Transport of Mongolia in 2017, accompanying rules and regulations have been developed, extensive work has been organized to inform and promote the relevant laws and legal framework for waterway transportation service providers, and technical inspections and censuses have been organized every year.

       In accordance with the recommendations of the IMSAS audit of the IMO, the new Maritime Law of Mongolia was approved in June 2022, which reflects the requirements of the mandatory IMO instruments, and the secondary legislations are being followed.

       I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the veterans and leaders of the maritime industry who have dedicated themselves to the great work of developing the maritime and waterway transport sector of landlocked Mongolia, moving forward like the waves of the sea and working shoulder to shoulder in the same direction, as well as to the individuals and organizations who have cooperated and supported until now.

       Moreover, I would like to emphasize that every citizen’s participation, recommendations, and initiatives will make a valuable contribution to the further development and progress of the maritime industry and to our work for honesty, transparency, openness, responsibility, competence, and promptness.

       May the ocean be clean and safe!