On Monday morning, 14 September, at the departure ceremony for the landing ship IKARIA, which is transporting humanitarian aid to Lebanon, the Deputy Minister of Foreign affairs for Economic Diplomacy, Kostas Fragogiannis, highlighted Greece’s geopolitical and humanitarian role in the Eastern Mediterranean.
“Greece is present in everything that happens in our neighbourhood and wants to ensure that Lebanon gets back on its feet, independent, as it should be,” the Deputy Minister said, underscoring that “today the landing ship IKARIA is departing for Beirut, the troubled capital of Lebanon, carrying aid, including food, constructions materials, medical equipment and basic necessities. Today, Greece is standing by Lebanon to help it. We managed to collect over 50 palettes of the necessary materials needed, thanks to an initiative from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the help of the Defence Ministry and especially the Navy, which will transport this aid.”
The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs referred extensively to the contribution of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Navy General Staff, which provided the landing ship IKARIA to transport the humanitarian aid, in the context of the European Civil Protection Mechanism. This mission is even more important given the special obligations the Navy is fulfilling at this time: “The message is clear: the armed forces are here to support peoples of the region in their time of need and to show our neighbourhood that we are present, in solidarity, where there is a real need. Our country has been, is and will remain a pillar of stability in the region, while on the diplomatic level we are endeavouring to ensure that Lebanon gets back on its feet following the catastrophic explosion at the country’s main port.”
The landing ship IKARIA departed with a cargo of 180 tonnes, showing the high level of corporate social responsibility on the part of our country’s enterprises, who donated their products to provide relief to the Lebanese people. Over 50 palettes of basic necessities were collected in just 17 days, following the Foreign Ministry’s call for donations and the prime minister’s initiative in organizing this shipment of aid to the Lebanese people.
Those who contributed to the success of this endeavour included private enterprises, pharmaceutical cooperatives and wholesalers from throughout Greece and the Pharmaceutical Research and Technology Institute (IFET), the Lebanese embassy in our country, the Greek-Lebanese association and social groups such as PAME, which showed immediate interest in participating.
Apart from the dozens of employees, diplomats, officials and personnel of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and National Defence, who cooperated effectively in carrying out this huge task, the officers and personnel of the landing ship IKARIA also contributed significantly, taking delivery of, packaging, transporting and loading the products within the limited time of two weeks.
September 14, 2020