The government's priorities for the four-year period 2023-27 were presented by the Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy, Miltiadis Varvitsiotis in the Parliament during the reading of the government's program.
In particular, Mr. Varvitsiotis began his speech by saying that, after the elections the country is entering a period of unprecedented stability which can be distinguished and can become extremely competitive at a European level, can offer security to the neighborhood and above all can create perspective for its citizens. He emphasized that it is a great honor for him to lead a Ministry that oversees shipping which is inherent to Greece itself. "Shipping, our sailors, our seas are part of our national DNA", he noted.
The Minister of Maritime Affairs underlined that Greeks trust a worthy "captain" such as Kyriakos Mitsotakis, to face the future storms and who successfully faced the previous crises and achieved all the central goals he had set in 2019. He stated that he was particularly moved when the Prime Minister handed out to him the "blue" folder with the government's initiatives in the field of Shipping, the color of which also corresponds to the policy field he is asked to implement in the Ministry of Maritime Affairs.
Concerning the Mediterranean, he noted that it is a sea of unparalleled beauty, a cradle of culture and commerce and that it is important to protect the marine environment in order to develop marine tourism and coastal activities.
Subsequently, he made a special mention of the great challenge of immigration, noting that the men and women of the Hellenic Coast Guard protect the maritime borders of Greece and, consequently, of Europe, and at the same time save human lives. He also reminded the Prime Minister's appeal to the parties to limit criticism and support the morale and work of the Hellenic Coast Guard and not assist those who want to present a false image and attempt to tarnish the one of the Hellenic Coast Guard.
Mr. Varvitsiotis stated that he is open to dialogue with the shipping agencies, saying that he treats with respect both the entrepreneurs of the sea and the workers, noting that there is no shipping without Greek sailors and that there are no ships with the Greek flag if there is no Greek presence on their deck and bridge.
Referring to the government's plan for Greek shipping, he said that it is extremely ambitious and that the goal is to increase the percentage of Greek shipping and maritime activities in the country's GDP. He made a special reference to coastal transport, saying that they are avenues for the development of our islands and that the goal is that no island is isolated and forgotten by the center of the country. Among the government's priorities are still the upgrading of the coastal shipping fleet in order to enter a new "green" era, the modernization of the ports, the electronic surveillance of the maritime borders and the attraction of new people to the maritime profession.
Furthermore, in his speech, the minister raised as a huge social issue the fact that elderly people drown at sea and pledged that for the political leadership of the ministry, the goal is to protect as many lives as possible.
Concluding his speech, Mr. Varvitsiotis emphasized that it is an honor to serve the world's largest shipping industry, the Hellenic Coast Guard, the islanders and the sailors, in order, as he said, to meaningfully "weigh their anchors". He also called on the national delegation to give a vote of confidence to "Captain" Kyriakos Mitsotakis and his government.
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