Alexander Klyavin (left), Assistant Secretary Deputy Minister of Transportation of the Russian Federation, and Dr Hermann J. Klein, Executive Board Member of Germanischer Lloyd signing the agreement. The Russian Maritime Authority has authorized classification society Germanischer Lloyd (GL) to perform statutory duties on ships with Russian flag. Germanischer Lloyd is the very first foreign society to be granted this right. Russian shipowners can now choose GL as their recognized organization, and thus profit from the society's longtime expertise in the maritime industry.