Azerbaijan’s State Maritime and Ports Agency (SMPA) hosted a meeting with a delegation of the Transport General Authority of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, currently visiting the country.

The Saudi delegation was briefed on the SMPA’s activities and the organization’s development path, as well as reforms implemented in the field of seafarer certification.

Recalling the Memorandum of Understanding signed last year between the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Transport General Authority of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on the mutual recognition of certificates pursuant to Regulation I/10 of the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW Convention), Eldar Majidov, Deputy Chairman of the Board of the State Maritime and Port Agency, noted that the document is of great importance for the seafarers of both countries.

Director of the Seafarers Affairs Department of the Transport General Authority of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Osama Almehmadi, expressed gratitude for the high-level organization of the meeting. The delegation emphasized the importance of mutual cooperation in the field of seafarer certification, including the exchange of experience between the two countries in the relevant area.

The meeting also featured discussions on the "My Cabinet platform launched by the SMPA for the digital management of seafarer documents, the unified information system, strengthening human resource capacity in the maritime sector, and the implementation of obligations arising from international conventions.

Subsequently, the Saudi delegation visited the Agency's examination hall established for seafarers in line with international standards and equipped with modern technical facilities and examination software.