Over the past year, the shipping industry once again navigated waters fraught with economic, environmental, and geopolitical uncertainty, with rising tensions along maritime routes and ongoing threats to freedom of navigation. Yet, in this landscape, Greek shipping honored its responsibility as a leader.

The UGS fostered cooperation across the maritime sector and beyond, as well as the global dialogue for the adoption of realistic and fit-for-purpose policies, with a composed, clear, and strong voice.

A highlight of our advocacy came during Greece’s presidency of the United Nations Security Council in New York, where we shone a spotlight on the real stakes of maritime security and the need to defend the freedom of navigation as a collective global responsibility and a cornerstone of peace and humanity. During my address to the debate chaired by the Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, immediately after the UN Secretary General António Guterres, I issued a universal call for unity and cooperation, urging UN member states to protect our industry from modern, multidimensional, international threats.

Our message was clear: shipping’s vital contribution to the stability of the global ecosystem depends on the free, secure movement of vessels, seafarers, and goods as an indispensable global responsibility.

Also on the international stage of energy transition, we have consistently supported feasible global solutions, rather than unilateral and regional measures that undermine the sustainability of the sector. In this context, the recent agreement at the IMO regarding mid-term measures to reduce Green House Gas emissions from ships has raised serious concerns to the sector. Although the shipping industry constructively participated in the lengthy discussions and negotiations, its pragmatic proposals were taken into account only to a small and certainly not to a satisfactory degree. As the final agreement was the outcome of a balancing act among conflicting interests and a compromise among the different priorities of the Organization’s Member States, it poses significant implementation challenges.

On the European front, it is a fact that the European Union and European shipping are interdependent, as shipping is the bedrock of food and energy security, economic sovereignty, and geopolitical stability for Europe. It is imperative that EU institutions and citizens alike consistently recognize shipping’s irreplaceable role.

Competitiveness and decarbonization must be addressed as complementary forces that act in parallel and interact, with the goal of the long-term sustainability of the industry.

On the national front, the foremost challenge is safeguarding and advancing our leadership in an ever-evolving global environment. At the same time, maintaining and enhancing our maritime expertise requires respect for the human-centered nature of Greek shipping, strengthening the competitiveness of the Greek flag, and transforming maritime education in line with current demands, as well as emerging digital and technological developments.

Finally, it is with immense pride that I thank my colleagues, whose critical contribution has dynamically and decisively expanded the humanitarian outreach of Greek shipping for our country, setting a world‑leading example of social solidarity.

Guided by our maritime heritage and faith in our collective strength, we will continue to evolve, create, invest, and lead, both in shipping and in solidarity, remaining global pioneers on the open seas.