Greece tops vote in IMO Council elections

Garnering 150 out of 157 votes, Greece came first out of 40 member-states in the category of countries with the greatest interest in providing international shipping services.

The election of Greece to the top of the IMO Council for the first time demonstrates the country’s standing as one of the leading forces in the field of international shipping, the Greek Foreign Affairs ministry noted in an announcement.

In the run-up to the assembly Shipping and Island Policy Minister, Ioannis Plakiotakis stressed the need to recognise and support the primacy of the IMO regarding the regulation of all issues related to the activity of international shipping.

Addressing the 32nd conference of the IMO members in London, 6 December Plakiotakis stressed the need to ensure the viability of the sector, emphasising the need to address the challenges posed by the climate crisis, while stressing the need to implement, as soon as possible, IMO's initial strategy to reduce ship emissions in a way that will ensure the smooth operation of inter- national trade and a level playing field.

Plakiotakis called on IMO members and the wider shipping industry to support this effort, for the environmental, social and economic sustainability. At the same time, he highlighted the role of seafarers, who, as he pointed out, during the corona- virus pandemic, under adverse conditions and severe health restrictions, continued to work tirelessly to continue international trade smoothly.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis recently said Greece plans to become a global leader in the decarbonisation of the shipping industry. The PM said Greece is focusing on sectors where it feels it can be a leader in the global climate agenda.

Speaking online with Lord Karan Bilimoria, head of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), in a chat broadcast, November 23, Mitsotakis said "It's not clear how this is going to happen, but we want to make sure we leaders are not laggards." He noted Greece is the world's largest shipping nation.

Further, the Greek-flagged fleet is ranked eighth globally and second in the European Union, continuing Greece’s historic maritime tradition that dates back centuries.

Moreover, Greece’s diplomatic success at the IMO marks its active, long-term contribution in the formulation of shipping legislation, through its continuous presence in the organisation’s work as pursued in its committees and subcommittees.

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