Lieutenant general/ Kamel El Wazir, deputy prime minister for industrial development and industry and transport minister and Mr. Arselio Antonio, IMO secretary general have inaugurated International Maritime Organization( IMO) Regional Representation office for Arab countries in Middle East and North Africa (MENA) at Egyptian Authority for Maritime Safety (EAMS) headquarters. The event was attended by a number of ambassadors and IMO member states representatives together with Alex governor/ Ahmed Khaled, admiral/ Nehad Shahin, vice minister for maritime transport, admiral/ Tarek Abdullah, head of Maritime Transport and Logistics sector, admiral/ Hussein ElGezeri, EAMS head and admiral/ Ahmed Hawwash, head of Alex port authority.
The ceremony has started by EAMS head reviewing most important projects implemented by the authority in the field of developing maritime navigation and infra-structure in accordance with international sustainable development plans; implementing international conventions issued from IMO. Also have been presented by a film the great efforts exerted by transport ministry (maritime transport and logistics sector and EAMS) over the past years.
Moreover, Lieutenant general/ Kamel El Wazir, deputy prime minister for industrial development and industry and transport minister has delivered a speech greeting the attendees and mentioning how this inauguration reflects the IMO trust in Egypt Status in maritime transport regionally and internationally and mentioning MTS and EAMS role during previous years since 2019 and coordinating between ministry of foreign affairs and the concerned bodies where Egypt has shown its clear vision of the importance of the office in reinforcing regional cooperation in the maritime sector and the technical cooperation committee has approved the office establishment in its 72 session in October 2022 and the council approved it in its 128 session in December 2022 until we have reached a memorandum of understanding in July 2023.
The minister has also mentioned that Egypt has been for long building vessels and in the field of maritime navigation a pioneer having a unique strategic geographical location and controls one of the most important international maritime waterways which is the Suez Canal which is considered a main artery for international maritime trade, and adding that Egypt has adopted in the last years an ambitious strategy for developing and upgrading its ports and establishing new ports currently of a total 18 port; and is playing an important role in supporting regional and international trade traffic where great investments have been pumped for its development and increasing efficiency in receiving giant vessels and providing with advanced maritime services. Finally, the minister assured that that Egypt is committed to all international conventions related to maritime transport, navigational safety and maritime environment issued by IMO.
Furthermore, the ministry declared that we are honored with the presence of IMO secretary general and all and by the help of our Arab countries and that we are all seeking to make this office succeed so as to become a platform for technical support and strengthening regional cooperation and combating joint challenges confronting the maritime transport in our region.
On the other hand, IMO secretary general in his speech congrats Egypt for being chosen as a host for this regional office and this reflects its strategic important role in the maritime field and its full commitment to upraise international shipping, its unique location having the Suez Canal and Egypt role linking the continents and the office will benefit from this. And he thanked the state reinforcing the maritime sector and its efforts and vision making it true in the Middle East and south Africa and also all over the world and finally expressed his happiness for our partnership and commitment to the joint task of sustainable secure shipping. And through this office, he declared that they will get acknowledged with needs and challenges of the Middle East and North Africa, understand them and solve them efficiently. Hence Egypt represents a bridge for international maritime governance and reinforces cooperation and provide with targeted support for strengthening maritime capabilities and compliance with IMO instruments. On the other hand, The region confronts challenges in critical waterways, climate change impacts and there is a necessity for converting to green shipping. All previously mentioned requires team work and mutual understanding and joint solutions. And the office will play an outstanding role in planning and implementing technical cooperation activities that IMO aims at all over the region; whether concerning safety and security of the two seas, or pollution combating and carbon removal, empowering women in the maritime field, hence the office will directly participate in achieving UN goals for sustainable development and IMO task represented in sustainable secure shipping for all, and he concluded that they are looking forward to seeing the expected achievements. Finally both parties have visited the new headquarters of the office where they saw its capabilities and installations and it strengthening other regional offices of IMO all over the world
Worth noting that Egypt has undergone several procedures for the success of the office at EAMS headquarters at Alex: such procedures have started with signing MOU with IMO in 20 July 2023 and seeking the office establishment at EAMS in Alex and making all necessary preparations whether technical or the infra-structure and facilitating procedures and cooperating with concerned bodies and participating in raising maritime human sources abilities in the region and making new cadres capable of implementing the organization instruments.
