Greece requested the immediate convening of an extraordinary council of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) on the safety of navigation and seafarers in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, today, due to the escalating crisis in Ukraine due to the Russian invasion.
Our country responded immediately to a relevant initiative of the French Presidency of the EU. The initiative was later joined by other EU countries. namely Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Cyprus and Malta. A similar request was submitted by other states, outside the EU. including the US and Australia.
As is already known, many units of the Russian Navy have been deployed in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.
Ukraine has announced since February 25 the closure of its ports for commercial navigation and does not allow the departure of ships that were carrying out loading and unloading, which remain trapped.
So far, four attacks on merchant ships in the Black Sea have been confirmed, in three of which sailors were injured.
The Minister of Shipping and Island Policy, Giannis Plakiotakis, today hastily contacted the Secretary General of IMO, Kitaklim, to whom he stressed that the conditions that have been created in the Black Sea and Azov Sea Seas of the topic.
At the same time, Mr. Plakiotakis underlined the excellent cooperation with France in this major issue and at the same time expressed his satisfaction for the immediate response of many countries to the initiative of the extraordinary convening of the IMO Council.
Referring to this issue, Mr. Plakiotakis said: “From the first moment, the competent services of the ministry are closely monitoring the developments in the crisis in Ukraine and we have close contact with the captains of Greek and Greek-owned Ships serving Greek sailors in the Black Sea. .
Our joint initiative with France, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the European Union, aims to mobilize the International Maritime Organization immediately to take action to protect the safety of navigation in the region.
“The fact that many countries are rushing to participate in this initiative justifies our choice and demonstrates the urgent need to take all necessary measures for the safety of our seafarers and ships.”
Source: Capital
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
