Baku, November 21 (AZERTAC). The two-day Caspian - Black Sea international conference on the theme “Industrial safety, combating offshore and onshore oil spills” opened in Baku on Monday.

The event has brought together representatives of the Ministries of Emergency Situations and Ecology and Natural Resources, oil companies, government agencies, international organizations, from a range of Caspian and European countries.

Chief Adviser of the Emergency Situations Ministry Ilkin Kengerli spoke about the ministry’s role in eliminating the consequences of the oil spill disasters and briefed the participants on the activity of the ministry’s Caspian Basin Accident Rescue Service. Noting that the service was founded in 1959, he said 19 successful operations were carried out to eliminate the consequences of the oil spills.

“Currently, the Emergency Ministry’s fleet includes 11 oil spill combating and 6 fire-fighting ships, special-purpose helicopters and other equipment,” Deputy Emergency Situations Minister Faig Taghizadeh said.

He said Azerbaijan joined the international convention on oil pollution preparedness. The five countries bordering the Caspian Sea in August, 2011, adopted a Protocol Concerning Regional Preparedness, Response and Cooperation in Combating Oil Pollution Incidents.

As a significant source of oil and gas, the Caspian region has become the focus of economic interest and political attention in recent years. Despite the wealth that this oil boom has brought to the region, it also carries environmental threats for the Caspian Sea.

Over the last two decades, the Sea has become increasingly exposed to the risk of pollution from oil and gas exploration, exploitation and transport. Each year the transportation of oil and oil products accounts for around 10,000 shipping movements in the region.