U.S., RUSSIA SIGN FIVE-YEAR MARITIME AGREEMENT

U.S., RUSSIA SIGN FIVE-YEAR MARITIME AGREEMENT    After a three-year hiatus, the United States and Russia formalized the terms of their maritime relationship under a five-year bilateral agreement signed in St. Petersburg, Russia, on Wednesday.
   The agreement establishes a formal consultation process on maritime matters, addresses visa requirements for crews of merchant vessels and improves access by Russian merchant vessels to U.S. ports. However, advanced notification is still required for Russian vessels entering a small number of U.S. commercial ports where naval facilities are located.
   The agreement was signed by U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta and Russian Transport Minister Sergey Frank. The new agreement is effective until 2006 and will be extended automatically for one year each year after that, unless either party decides otherwise.
   The previous bilateral agreement officially expired in 1988, but both nations continued to abide by its provisions. The first maritime agreement between the United States and what was then the Soviet Union was signed in 1972.