Thank you so much, Ambassador.
Mr. Minister, Madam Minister, I'm very pleased to participate in this Ministerial Meeting, launching the Group of Friends on Safety and Security on Shipping and Seafarers. This initiative comes at a particularly important juncture. Threats to maritime security have multiplied, while attacks against international shipping have endangered lives, challenged freedom of navigation, disrupted global supply chains and affecting food and energy security.
Recent attacks against commercial vessels and seafarers, including in the Red Sea, the wider region and other critical maritime routes, have demonstrated once again how rapidly maritime insecurity is growing and the consequences are strongly seen. At the heart of these challenges are the seafarers themselves, the men and women of whom international shipping and global trade depend. Seafarers are the backbone of international shipping. Yet, despite the considerable improvements in working conditions achieved over the years, they remain one of the most demanding professions. Today, they are increasingly exposed to piracy, armed conflict, terrorist attacks, and other serious security threats. Protecting shipping must therefore go hand in hand with protecting those who serve at sea.
For Greece, for us, it's a high priority during our term in office as an elected member of the Security Council of the UN. During our first Presidency of the Security Council in May 2025, Greece convened a High-Level open debate chaired by the Greek Prime Minister on strengthening maritime security through international cooperation. Maritime security will feature prominently once again during our forthcoming Presidency in October, as we continue our efforts to uphold freedom of navigation and strengthen our coordination and collective response to threats at sea. Our commitment remains clear: freedom of navigation must be upheld, and the safety and security of shipping and seafarers must be protected in accordance with International Law and especially with UNCLOS.
The International Maritime Organization has a central role to perform in these efforts. Greece remains actively engaged in the IMO's work to strengthen our collective capacity to address maritime security risks. Cooperation between the IMO and the International Labor Organization is equally important, particularly in addressing abandonment and ensuring the fair treatment of seafarers.
Against this background, I warmly congratulate India and Liberia on their initiative to establish this Group of Friends. Greece is proud to join this effort. The group can help raise awareness, promote the effectiveness of implementation of existing commitments, and build on initiatives undertaken by states and international organizations. This is another evidence of the actual usefulness of multilateralism under challenging circumstances. It is important to work together on global challenges.
I would like to stress 3 messages that we need to address today.
The first is that seafarers in secure seas and safer shipping and better protection for everybody working at sea is very critical because this is fundamental to international peace and security and prosperity and the rule of law. It involves not only the protection of lives but the protection of supply chains, food security, and critical energy transport.
Secondly, freedom of navigation through straits of international use is not only a main principle of international positive and customary law, but also the basis of unhindered global trade and freedom of commerce.
And third, it is precisely at times of crisis like today that the Maritime Law Convention of 2006, celebrating the 20th anniversary this year, needs to be applied more scrupulously. Its protective coverage assumes full significance for preserving the fundamental rights to a secure and safe workplace for all seafarers. Ladies and gentlemen, an old maritime saying reminds us that without seafarers, half of the world would freeze and the remaining half would starve.
Greece stands ready to work closely with all members of the Group of Friends to translate our shared commitments into effective practice.
Thank you.
September 25, 2026