Kyrgyzstan Says No Ships Are Authorized to Use Its Flag

Landlocked Kyrgyzstan has informed the International Maritime Organization (IMO) that no companies or individuals currently have permission to register or operate seagoing vessels under the country’s flag.

The announcement has drawn attention to Kyrgyzstan’s relatively new plans to establish itself in the international ship registration sector, despite the Central Asian country having no coastline.

In a circular distributed to IMO member states this week, the Kyrgyz government said it had “not granted any authorization to any legal entity or individual” to register, represent, operate or use seagoing ships flying the Kyrgyz flag.

The government said that any vessel registration or operation conducted without formal authorization from the country’s state authorities should be considered unauthorized. Such activities should therefore have no legal consequences for Kyrgyzstan, it added.

The communication was originally dated July 30 before being circulated by the IMO on Aug. 18.

Kyrgyzstan is a relatively recent member of the IMO, having officially joined the organization in February 2024 as its 176th member state. Since becoming a member, the government in Bishkek has taken steps toward developing a flag state business and establishing an international ship registry, despite the country being located thousands of kilometers from the nearest sea.

Earlier this year, President Sadyr Japarov signed Kyrgyzstan’s new Merchant Shipping Code. The legislation establishes a legal framework for an international vessel register and designates Bishkek as the country’s official port of registry. The city’s name would therefore be displayed on the stern of vessels registered under the Kyrgyz flag. The new code is scheduled to take effect six months after its publication.

Plans for the new registry included oversight from a newly established maritime administration alongside a national operator.

Local media reports in April indicated that a private company named Maritime Register had been selected to act as the national operator of the Maritime Register of the Kyrgyz Republic. Its proposed responsibilities were reported to include registering vessels, issuing certification and ensuring ships complied with relevant international maritime standards.

However, following the government’s latest communication to the IMO, it remains unclear whether the company is still authorized to manage the country’s flag registry.

Kyrgyzstan would not be the first country without direct access to the sea to establish an international ship registry. Mongolia has operated its own vessel registry for a number of years and became an IMO member in 1996. San Marino, another landlocked country, also entered the international ship registration market when it opened its registry to overseas shipowners in 2021.