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Panama seeks to be an observer on the Tokyo MoU

Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) Administrator Jorge Barakat during a visit to Japan, formally aksed the Tokyo MoU to accept Panama as an observer member of the Memorandum Asia Pacific, which keeps Panama on the White List.

Michele Labrut, Americas Correspondent

April 10, 2015

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The Tokyo MoU Secretary Mitsutoyo Okada said he was pleased of receiving Panama’s request since the Panama Ship Registry has kept an excellent record in the Tokyo MoU; and that he will proceed with the application.
 
The Tokyo MOU started operations on 1 April 1994 and is comprised of 19 countries in the Asia and Pacific Ocean. Its main objective is to eliminate sub-standard ships, harmonising the rules of inspection vessels of the Port State Control. With a statistical inspections system, the Tokyo MOU keeps track of ships that meet the highest standards of maritime safety, accounting inspections and detentions over the past three years, classifying them into three groups, namely, black list, gray list and whitelist.

In addition, the AMP Administrator Barakat used his visit to Tokyo to meet with key actors in the Japanese maritime industry, as the Director General of the Maritime Division of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan (MLIT), representatives of the Japanese Shipowners' Association (JSA), Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (K-Line), Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) and Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL).
 
“It was an opportunity to explain to our official hosts and Japanese shipping companies that the AMP administration is committed in the transparency of the services, and high level of technical support,” said Barakat who announced the opening of an SEGUMAR-technical office in Imabari, Japan in May.

About the Author

Michele Labrut

Americas Correspondent

Michèle Labrut is a long-time Panama resident, a journalist and correspondent, and has continuously covered the maritime sector of Central & Latin America.

Michèle first came to Panama as a press attaché to the French Embassy and then returned to the isthmus as a foreign correspondent in the 1980s.

Author of Seatrade Maritime's annual Panama Maritime Review magazine and of several books, Michèle also wrote for Time magazine, The Miami Herald, NBC News and the Economist Intelligence Unit. She has also collaborated in making several documentaries for the BBC and European and U.S. television networks.

Michèle's profession necessitates a profound knowledge of the country, but her acumen is not from necessity alone, but a genuine passion for Panama.

In 2012 she was awarded the Order of Merit (Knight grade) by the French Government for her services to international journalism and in 2021 the upgrade to Chevalier grade.

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