February 18, 2019 - The government agreed to Minister of Transport and Maritime Affairs Osman Nurkovic to sign the Agreement on Mutual Recognition of Certification and Certification of Seafarers with the Naval Administration of St. Vincent and the Grenadines at its session on Thursday, 14 February.
It is of great importance for Montenegrin sailors because Saint Vincent and the Grenadines - a small island in the Caribbean, is valid for one of the most significant so-called flags of convenience under which world shipping companies register their vessels. At present, the flag of St. Vincent and Grenadines is at the 20th place in the world by the size of the merchant fleet sailing under its banner. Among other, under this flag, there are four so-called handy size bulk cargo - "Kotor," "Dobrota," "Ljuta" and "Kamenari," the only private Bokelian Company, a company Dabinovic from Monaco who employs only our sailors.
"The Agreement between the Navy Administration of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the Ministry of Transport and Maritime Affairs of Montenegro means that our sailors will be able to build a working relationship with ships sailing under the flag of St. Vincent and the Grenadines without any problems. The Agreement confirms that the convictions that Montenegrins and St. Vincent and Grenadines are fully in line with the international STCW Convention," the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Transport said, adding that similar agreements our country has already signed with the maritime administrations of Portugal, Norway, Antigua, and Barbuda, Hong Kong, the Bahamas, and Japan. Such an agreement with Greece, which is also one of the most famous states on the number of merchant ships carrying its flag, is in the procedure.
It is interesting, however, that the maritime flag and register of a small Caribbean countryman Sent Vincent and the Grenadines has invented one of our man - maritime entrepreneur and ship-owner, founder of Dabinovic from Monaco, late Bozo A. Dabinovic of Dobrota Kotor.
Only one year after gaining independence from the UK, Saint Vincent was a member of the International Maritime Organization IMO in 1980. Bozo Dabinovic was in charge of maritime affairs, in practice the Minister of Maritime Affairs of that State. Maximizing his good business connections from the naval affairs, he succeeded to attract under the new and inexpensive flag of St. Vincent an increasing number of merchant ships and hitting the foundations of what is today one of the biggest fleets the world's flagships. Members of the Dabinovic family from Switzerland, Monaco, and Argentina are also very influential today and active as the naval administration of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
