According to a recent report by ratings agency S&P, Russia is believed to be using more than 400 oil tankers in its shadow fleet to keep supplies of oil moving, while nearly 2,000 vessels might be being used to supply war materiel and other sanctioned cargoes.
Braže stressed the need for the region to work more closely together to address hybrid threats and opportunities to circumvent sanctions against Russia, including the elimination of Russia’s “shadow fleet”, according to an account released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“These are not [really] 'shadow fleets' because they are visible and known. The 'shadow fleet' in the Baltic Sea poses both security and environmental risks and is a geopolitical threat in general, which is why the EU, together with its transatlantic partners, must start to introduce sanctions against the 'shadow fleet' vessels, as well as ban refuelling and storage services for Russian oil products for the 'shadow fleet'. Currently, this is a way of circumventing sanctions and it must be prevented,” said Baiba Braže.
At the end of the CBSS meeting, a joint declaration was adopted (which is attached to this story in PDF format) which said:
"The Council underlined the importance of strengthening resilience, preparedness, and crisis response in the Baltic Sea Region as a matter of urgency. The shadow fleet transporting Russian oil, in particular, calls for decisive joint actions, including the strengthening of sanctions. The shadow fleet undermines the international regime regarding maritime safety, and the liability and compensation regime, as well as poses a significant danger to our marine environment especially in the Baltic Sea, which is vulnerable to oil spills and pursuantly designated as a particularly sensitive sea area. In addition, transporting Russian oil in circumvention of sanctions contributes to the ability of Russia to wage its war against Ukraine."
During the working visit, the Foreign Ministers of Latvia and Norway held a bilateral meeting during which Baiba Braže welcomed the new Security and Defencse Partnership concluded between Norway and the European Union.
“Norway has become a strategic partner of the EU in the field of security and defence, which is an important long-term contribution to the security of the EU and Norwegian citizens. In the current geopolitical situation, it is of particular importance for the EU to strengthen cooperation with like-minded partners on a global scale. The partnership will strengthen cooperation, for example, in critical infrastructure resilience and the protection of underwater infrastructure. It also provides for practical cooperation in areas such as cyber security and the fight against foreign interference in democratic processes, including disinformation. The new partnership also includes cooperation on supporting Ukraine,” said Braže.
