World Maritime Day Parallel Celebrations Held in Greece

The fourth "Parallel Event" to celebrate World Maritime Day formally and officially outside of the International Maritime Organization's London base was held in Greece hosted by the Government of the Hellenic Republic.

On 19 September, Athens was the location for a seminar and panel discussion on the theme of IMO: 60 years in the service of shipping, in which leading figures from the maritime community took the opportunity to outline, from their perspective, their views on the past, present and future of IMO and the shipping industry. On 20 September, the International Memorial to the Wife of the Seafarer was unveiled in the town of Galaxidi, by the Secretary-General of IMO, Mr. Efthimios E. Mitropoulos, and Greece's Minister of Mercantile Marine, the Aegean and Island Policy, Mr. Anastasis Papaligouras. The Athens event, held at the Evgenidion Foundation, was opened by the Prime Minister of Greece, Dr. Kostas Karamanlis, who, in praising the Organization's achievements over six decades, referred to its contribution to the reduction in marine accidents and incidents, its sensitivity over environmental protection issues and its role as a model of multilateral and institutional co-operation. Other speakers were: Mr. Spyros Polemis, Chairman of the International Chamber of Shipping and President of the International Shipping Federation; Mr. David Cockroft, General Secretary of the International Transport Workers' Federation; Mr. Philip Embiricos, President of BIMCO; Mr. Nicky A. Pappadakis, Chairman of INTERCARGO; Mr. Nicholas G. Fistes, Chairman of INTERTANKO; Mr. George A. Gratsos, President of the Hellenic Chamber of Shipping; Mr. Nicos D. Efthymiou, President of the Union of Greek Shipowners; and Mr. William Azuh, Chairman of the IMO Club of Maritime Attachés.

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