On the meeting of T. Anodina with Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary

On June 5, 2017, the President of the Interstate Council on Aviation and Use of Airspace (Interstate Council), Chairperson of the Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC) doctor T. Anodina and State Secretary of the Interstate Council/IAC, Ambassador V. Chkhikvishvili met with Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Armenia, Republic of Belarus, Republic of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyz Republic to Russia at the IAC headquarters (Moscow). The meeting was also attended by CIS Executive Secretary S. Lebedev, CSTO Secretary General Y. Khachaturov, State Secretary of the Union State Russia-Belarus G. Rapota.   

The meeting was focused on results of the implementation of the Interstate Agreement on Civil Aviation and Use of Airspace (Interstate Agreement - international agreement) and 25-year activity of established on its basis Interstate Council - supreme body of the Interstate Agreement and IAC which - executive body of the Interstate Agreement and Interstate Council. 

It was emphasized that the Interstate Council/IAC carry out significant work to ensure flight safety and aviation security in our region and to develop close international cooperation. Currently, the Interstate Council/IAC is a recognized organization in the Eurasian region, registered as such with the UN (ICAO), and has agreements with 76 states in North and South America, the Middle East, Asia-Pacific region, and Africa, as well as 19 international organizations, primarily ICAO, as well as EASA, IATA, the CIS, the CSTO, and the Interstate Council for Antimonopoly Policy.

Independent investigations of 756 air accidents are conducted with the participation of States parties to the Interstate Agreement, including more than 40% outside the region (76 countries). None of IAC conclusions has appealed in procedural order. Over 50 type of aircraft and engines, 102 international airports, and 550 type of air navigation systems have been certified. Within the framework of ICAO-IAC project over 9,000 international specialists, including flight safety inspectors and accident investigators, have been trained under the ICAO-IAC project. The Agreement on indefinite extension of this Project was signed with the ICAO Secretary General in September 2016.   

The Interstate Council/IAC interact on a regular basis with the CIS and its bodies, the EAEU (EEC), CSTO, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministries of Industry and Transport, aviation authorities, and other bodies of the States Parties to the Interstate Agreement to implement the Interstate Agreement. We are grateful to the authorities of our states for their continued and consistent support for the activities of the Interstate Council/IAC over the years and their appreciation of their work. Visits of the IAC Chairperson in recent years to virtually all states in the region demonstrate their readiness and interest in further closer cooperation with the Interstate Council/IAC.

For further improvement of cooperation within the framework of the Interstate Agreement, including in the economic sphere, aimed at enhancing aviation safety level, accessibility and cost-effectiveness of air traffic, the IAC has developed a set of measures aimed at assisting states participating in the Interstate Agreement in the implementation of a navigation satellite system and an automatic landing system (GPS-GLONASS), increasing the investment attractiveness of national airports, including public-private partnership opportunities, assistance in removing national carriers of a number of countries of the Interstate Agreement from the EU "blacklists", further ensuring the independence of air accident investigation system and aviation equipment and the type certification system for aircraft and international airports, expanding training programs for aviation specialists, etc.

The issues of IAC collaboration with the Eurasian Economic Commission, based on the Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2013, were highlighted. In November 2016, an Implementation Plan of the Memorandum for 2017–2018 was coordinated. In particular, it provides analysis of aviation safety in EAEU member states, the identification of key areas of joint work to counter acts of unlawful interference in civil aviation, the creation of a CSTO single information space in the field of aviation medicine, and development of a Roadmap for the liberalization and accessibility of air traffic, the draft of which was prepared by the Transport and Infrastructure Department of the Eurasian Economic Commission.

T. Anodina particularly commented on the successful development of IAC-ICAO collaboration, thanked the ICAO President and Secretary General for their support of the Interstate Council/IAC. It was noted that in September 2016, a new agreement between the IAC and ICAO was signed at ICAO Headquarters in Montreal, marking a new stage in cooperation on ICAO standards and implementation of international programs in the region of the States Parties to the Interstate Agreement. Attention was also drawn to the IAC initiatives aimed at developing flight safety and aviation security in international civil aviation, presented at the 39th ICAO Assembly (October 2016).

During the meeting the Ambassadors expressed surprise at recent media publications related to the IAC, in connection with the discussion of the draft EAEU roadmap. The discussion of this issue was constructive and professional, demonstrating a complete mutual understanding among the participants, who unequivocally confirmed the interest of states and their leaders in further, closer cooperation with the Interstate Council/IAC, including independent air accident investigation, type certification of aircraft and international airports based on ICAO standards and international practice.

All participants highly appreciated the Interstate Council/IAC for its work in further strengthening and developing cooperation between States Parties to the Interstate Agreement in the field of civil aviation and aviation industry, ensuring flight safety and aviation security in the region. They noted with satisfaction the importance of the IAC's broad international recognition as a regional integration structure and its active engagement in the interests of States Parties to the Interstate Agreement with international organizations, primarily ICAO and its European North Atlantic Office, EASA, and the world's leading aviation countries.

Overall, the meeting was conducted in a business-like, constructive, and warm atmosphere.

In conclusion, T. Anodina presented commemorative certificate to CIS Executive Secretary S. Lebedev for for his assistance, ongoing support, and encouragement in connection with the 25th anniversary of the Interstate Council/IASC. The сommemorative awards were also presented to the Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Armenia, Republic of Belarus, Republic of Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyz Republic.