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Greek EU presidency put shipping centre stage

Greek EU presidency put shipping centre stage
Greece’s European Union presidency ended at midnight 30 June. On the eve of handing the baton to Italy, Greece’s Foreign minister Evangelos Venizelos declared the presidency had paved the way for the country to finally emerge from a protracted financial crisis.

Taking stock of Athens’ presidency, Venizelos, who is also deputy Prime minister called it “successful,” noting Athens had “scored several significant achievements”, not least a primary surplus which the country’s international creditors had set as a precondition for the launch of much-desired talks on debt relief.

Prime minister Antonis Samaras, made a similar comments the same day. “Greece proved everyone wrong by achieving fiscal streamlining and stabilising the country’s position in the euro,” said Samaras.

Samaras had described the country’s approach to the presidency as “result-oriented,” noting 67 pieces of legislation were drawn up.

Already he is set to meet Italian counterpart, Matteo Renzi in Rome later this month with a view to promoting issues of joint concern already put on the table by Athens. The maritime sector and immigration policies top of the agenda.

Indeed, Greece used the presidency to put shipping centre stage as a demonstration of what Greeks can achieve.

This was never more so than when much of world shipping gathering in Athens for Posidonia. During the June 2 - 6 event, Greek shipping people used their traditional power of persuasion to get their message across, whether it be lecturing the government or EU Transport commissioner, Siim Kallas, or wooing the bankers of the world, including the Japanese and Chinese.

As Samaras, told a packed ribbon cutting ceremony at Posidonia 2 June, shipping is Greece’s "champion sector". "The economic potential of the Greek commercial fleet and the strategic positioning of Greece in future world commerce are gaining by the day," said Samaras.

Union of Greek Shipowners president, Theodore Veniamis, on several occasions over the past six months urged EU leaders to put shipping as a “central part of the vision of European politicians” noting “its strategic importance for Europe as the main facilitator of world trade and globalisation”.

Greece received wide acclaim "for the forward looking declarations" encompassed in the 'Athens Declaration' unanimously adopted by EU ministers responsible for maritime transport.

European shipowners applauded the declaration as a “positive and forward-looking one”. European Community Shipowners Association (ECSA) secretary general Patrick Verhoeven, said: “In particular, we support ministers’ recognition to maintain a stable and innovation-friendly framework, ensuring competitiveness of EU fleets, providing legal certainty for investments and stimulating the establishment of maritime activities in EU member states in a context of liberalised maritime services. We are furthermore delighted ministers explicitly recognise the vital role the EU state aid regime for maritime transport plays in achieving these goals.”

Greece’s Shipping Minister Miltiadis Varvitsiotis also used the period to repeatedly warned the EU tampering with Greece's maritime tax policies will see a flight of ships from Europe. On one occasion he told the Panhellenic Seamens Federation leadership: “The Shipping Ministry seeks to attract more ships to the Greek flag and to secure jobs. I’ve discussed with the EU the problem of unemployment of mariners and pointed out taxation policies will affect the competitiveness of Greek shipping and in turn could chase more ships out of Europe.”

Finally, the flow of European leaders into Athens enabled them to better understand the plight of the country and its people. On top of this, the presidency was used to attract other world leaders, including the Chinese leadership.

Just days before the curtain came down on the Greek presidency, Chinese Prime minister Li Keqiang spent three days in Athens during which some 20 bilateral investment and trade agreements were signed, with Li pledging to be “a long-term, responsible investor” in Greece.

Samaras and Li visited Piraeus, underlining China’s interest in expanding its presence at the country’s main port. “Greece can become China’s gateway to Europe, and the start of a European trade corridor between Europe and the Far East,” said Samaras, while Li described Greece as “China’s most stable and faithful friend in Europe”.