Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis addressed the opening ceremony of the maritime exhibition “Posidonia 2024” at the Metropolitan Expo exhibition center on Monday, emphasizing his unwavering support for Greek shipowners “in every aspect of the shipping industry, from the green transition to the safety of ports and shipyards.”
“In these circumstances, where households are under pressure from high prices, it is the ships that supply the global economy in an economic way, transporting goods of all kinds, that did not pause, even during the pandemic. After all, shipping guaranteed Europe’s energy security during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and continues to keep sea lanes open as the crisis in the Middle East evolves,” he said at the Metropolitan Expo.
Mitsotakis reaffirmed Greece’s dedication to establishing maritime parks “within areas that belong to Greek sovereignty,” as respect for the marine environment should get on the national agenda in a way that unites rather than divides countries and peoples.
The premier underscored the significance of Greek shipping as a point of national pride, and he highlighted the contributions of Greek shipowners, he noted that despite crises and geopolitical tensions, they helped bolster Greek shipping by increasing the capacity of the Greek fleet by 50%.
At Posidonia, mr. Mitsotakis also attended the launch of a new digital application, “niologio.gov.gr,” designed to streamline the registration and nationality documentation process for Greek deep-sea vessels.
The presentation took place at the booth of the Ministry of Shipping and Island Policy following the opening ceremony of “Posidonia 2024”. The new application addresses a long-standing demand from the maritime community, aiming to reduce bureaucracy and expedite registration procedures, thus enhancing the Greek flag’s global standing.
Key features of the application include the automatic generation of the ship’s nationality document, complete with a unique QR code for instant authenticity verification by authorities worldwide. This advancement promises immediate issuance and delivery to shipowner companies, significantly cutting down administrative delays.
Deputy Digital Governance Minister Konstantinos Kyranakis led the presentation, with remarks from Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy Minister Christos Stylianides and Union of Greek Shipowners President Melina Travlos, both of whom highlighted the application’s potential to modernize and improve the industry’s operational efficiency. After the demonstration, Mitsotakis toured the exhibition, engaging with various exhibitors and entrepreneurs from the shipping sector, underscoring the government’s commitment to supporting and advancing Greece’s maritime interests.