According to the PMO News Portal, the
statement is as follows:
All vessels belonging to the Iranian
shipping companies currently operate under the glorious Iranian flag, and the
Iranian fleet with a sizeable tonnage ranking among the first 20 largest
ship-owning countries of the world, serve the maritime transport of the country
to provide for the cargo import and export demands.
Iranian flagged vessels fully and
favorably comply with international standards and conventions, as well as
national legislations and regulations, which has been proven and confirmed by Port
State Control (PSC) inspections reports issued by PSC MoUs around the world.
Moreover, Iranian seafarers possess
the required competence and expertise, as endorsed by the Maritime Safety
Committee (MSC) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Thanks to the
effective measures taken in the past 30 years to promote the quality and
quantity of maritime education in the country, it is our pleasure to announce
that a high majority of officers serving on Iranian vessels are Iranian
seafarers.
It must be emphasized that such
actions are not only considered false and trivial, but also emanate from the
political pressure exerted by the Government of the United States of America.
The Panamanian Government is also
advised to be aware of the actions and behaviors, and the international and
legal impacts of such groundless statements and claims, which will not affect
the Iranian maritime trade, stand in clear contradiction to norms of
international commercial freedom and the spirit of international maritime
conventions that encourage nations and states to promote their cooperation on
various levels, as well as Articles 1 and 2 of the IMO Convention ratified by
both the Iranian and Panamanian Governments. By virtue of the mentioned
articles, Member States to IMO as a subsidiary of the United Nations undertake
to refrain from creating any limitations to commercial shipping or committing
any discriminatory behavior.