Interlegal on WISTA annual conference 2015

WISTA stands for the Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association. It was established in London in 1974 in order to support women in international maritime sector on the way of social co-operation, improving new business lines and encouraging each other on the sectorial businesses.  WISTA has shown continuous growth and development in its work within the shipping and trading industry. Their numbers now exceed 2000 members across 35 countries.

This year the annual conference took place in Istanbul and was organized and hosted by WISTA Turkey. The conference gathered more than 250 participants who are mostly the ladies on top management positions in shipping and trading.

Every year the conference is united by one general topic. The idea for 2015 conference was ‘Veins of Shipping’ meaning channels/straits/canals/rivers.  

3 days conference program included Annual General Meeting of WISTA participants, interesting panels and discussions covering international maritime practice and experience in passing rivers, channels and straits worldwide.

Natalia Myroshnychenko organized and moderated the 5^th Panel of the Conference “Veins of Shipping Part II: Danube/Ukrainian/Russian Rivers”.

Recognized experts from the maritime industry participated in the panel discussion: Aleksey Tarazanov, Executive Director of Soylu Shipping A.S., Bahadir Tonguc, the founder and Managing Director of Supramar Ltd., Todor Vassilev, founder and CEO of Vassilev Maritime, Eduard Machavariani, founder and CEO of ASSA Trans Caucasus.

The speakers gave overview of river-sea fleet in the Black Sea region, discussed peculiarities of river navigation in Dnieper and Volgo-Don Canal, alternative routes from Black Sea to Caspian Sea, answered the questions of moderator in respect of prospects of river logistics in Black Sea region within the nearest future.