These days, unacceptable statements by a prominent member of the Greek shipping community, Mr. P. Laskaridis, who is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Union of Greek Shipowners (UGS), the institutional, representative body of Greek shipping, have come to light, for which Mr. Laskaridis has already provided public explanations.

As President of the UGS and representing its Board of Directors in its entirety, but also personally as a Greek citizen, I feel obliged to unequivocally state that, in any event, what Mr. Laskaridis has claimed express his own personal views, which we, in any event, unambiguously condemn and which do not reflect the genuine and deep patriotic feelings of the UGS.

The Greek shipping community respects and honours the Greek Prime Minister, the members of the Greek government and its officials, advocating consistently the politically impartial character of shipping as a national asset for the country.

For the Greek ocean-going shipping, it is a choice, but also a moral duty, to maintain close ties with the homeland through time and to have at the country’s disposal the strategic advantages that stem from the Greek shipping industry’s quantitative and qualitative superiority, ranking first in Europe and globally. Tangible proof of the above is the fact that the State and the Greek shipping family share the common vision to maximize the benefits for the country that derive from this important productive and economic pillar.

In addition, any reference made by Mr. P. Laskaridis to the institutions of the European Union, as well as to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has absolutely nothing to do with the respect, confidence and sincere cooperation that governs the long-standing relations of the UGS with them.

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