By Paris Tsirigotis

At a particularly critical juncture for international shipping, Greece underscored its long-standing maritime role as Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy, Vasilis Kikilias, addressed the 34th Ordinary Session of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Assembly in London.

The minister called on member states to support the Greek candidacy for Category A, underlining that Greece is not simply claiming a seat on the Council, but is committed to actively contributing to the formation of a fair, unified and sustainable global framework for shipping. He also pointed out that global measures must combine environmental ambition with economic realism and be imbued with justice.

“It is an honor for us to be candidates in IMO Category A and to ask for your vote. Greeks are people of the sea. We have traveled all over the world. We believed in trade. From Ulysses until today, we have built our historical heritage, our economy and our future on the future,” Kikilias underlined at the IMO Assembly, noting that “we humbly ask that you take this into account and give us the opportunity to continue moving forward and working not only for our own rights or the rights of our people, but for a global framework that is compatible with all, that recognizes the importance of today’s fuel, LNG, and that gives us all the opportunity to cooperate and achieve much.”

Kikilias underlined that “we believe that global measures must combine environmental ambition with economic realism and be imbued with justice,” stressing the need for the green transition “to be carried out with caution, in order to avoid economic and technological shocks.”

As he noted, “it is important to ensure that international rules do not constitute a punitive mechanism”, while “realistic timetables and reward mechanisms” are crucial to benefit the entire shipping industry.

Referring to the operation of the IMO, the minister pointed out that “we respect, support and honor all opinions within the IMO, aiming for a safe, sustainable and effective regulatory framework”, insisting that “every effort must be made so that we can reach a global, common framework within the Organization.”

He also clarified that “we recognize that perhaps no one can win 100% of what they seek through such agreements, but the greatest possible effort must be made so that there is a basic, common framework of agreement, on which we will work and try to find solutions together.”

Kikilias’ diplomatic contacts in London

The Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy, Vassilis Kikilias, held targeted and high-level diplomatic contacts in London where he is participating in the 34th Regular Assembly of the IMO.

He met Marco M. Sylvester, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation Affairs at the U.S. State Department. Building on their September discussions in Washington, the two sides reviewed bilateral and multilateral cooperation in the maritime sector, particularly within the IMO.

This was followed by a meeting with the Deputy Minister of Transport of Saudi Arabia, Dr Rumaih Al-Rumaih, during which it was noted that the relationship between Greece and Saudi Arabia has been upgraded in recent years, as demonstrated by recent high-level visits. Kikilias expressed his appreciation for the significant achievements of Saudi Arabia in the field of tourism, while the two sides discussed the importance of the traditional mutual support of their candidacies to the IMO, the need to safeguard maritime security in the Red Sea, and also the common desire to further boost cooperation in the fields of shipping, ports and cruises.

In his next bilateral contact, he met with the Minister of Transport of Qatar, Mohammed bin Abdulla Al Thani, with whom they discussed the development of mutually beneficial synergies in the shipping and ports sector, as well as the cooperation between the two countries within the framework of the IMO.

Meeting with China’s Vice Minister of Transport

In his meeting with China’s Vice Minister of Transport, Li Yang, the strong relationship between the two countries in the maritime sector and ways to further strengthen it were discussed, while the two sides agreed on the importance of exchanging views within the IMO framework, due to the high percentage of the global merchant fleet that the two countries represent.

The Minister hosted a working lunch for his Mediterranean counterparts, including the Deputy Minister of Shipping of Cyprus, Marina Hadjmanolis, the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Public Works of Malta, Chris Bonett, and the Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transport of Italy, Edoardo Rixi. They confirmed a common approach to the challenges and priorities of European and global shipping. The Mediterranean countries, which represent a significant proportion of global and European shipownership and have a deep tradition and know-how in the sector, underlined the value of close cooperation to ensure the competitiveness and sustainability of shipping, while Kikilias thanked his counterparts for the fruitful and constructive discussion, emphasizing that they are fellow travelers in joint future efforts.