Saudi Arabia’s Permanent Representative to the IMO participates in high-level meetings at the European Commission
On 16th November, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Permanent Representative to the IMO, Eng. Essam Al Ammari participated in high-level meetings at the European Commission in Brussels. The meetings served to open dialogue in maritime affairs between the European Commission and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia especially with regards to Maritime regulations, the IMO and identifying areas for future cooperation and support.
In meeting the Directorate General for Maritime Safety and the Directorate General for Mobility and Transport, the discussion focused on the EU’s Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy including the implementation of the “Fit for 55” GHG strategy and how decarbonizing the shipping industry could be approached by implementing environmental and decarbonisation measures. The meetings facilitated a greater understanding of the EU, it’s mission and objectives. They also provided opportunity for discussions on potential future cooperation with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in areas including research, technological development, conservation, and decarbonisation. The meeting then discussed developments in Saudi Arabia, including Saudi Vision 2030 and the Kingdom’s active and committed stance on tackling climate change. The meeting closed with a shared call for increased communication and collaboration between the EU, Saudi Arabia and IMO member states.
Another meeting at the Commission focused on issues affecting maritime security and transport, including piracy and cyber security concerns and their global impact. Developing cooperation and interoperability to enhance maritime safety and security was also discussed, including international coordination between organisations. The potential for future capacity building, training, and legislative amendments were also raised. The EU commended Saudi Arabia on their recent project to provide Long-Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT) systems to Small Island Developing States and Least Developed Countries, which will enhance the security and safety of shipping globally.
The final meeting sought to improve understanding of the EU’s maritime environmental policies and objectives including maritime litter, microplastics and ghost fishing litter. Eng. Al Ammari outlined Saudi Arabia’s commitment to climate change including the Saudi Green Initiative, the IMO CARES project and The Kingdom’s pledge to the GloLitter and GloFouling projects (See more here: https://www.ksaimo.com/blog-2/blog-post-title-two-8kebg ). The EU praised KSA’s recent commitments to maritime environmental projects. The potential to conduct joint research into maritime environmental matters was also discussed. The productive visit to the European Commission allowed for a greater insight into the EU, future objectives and emphasised a shared desire for future cooperation and partnership.
