Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Mariam Kvrivishvili held a meeting with the Minister of Maritime Affairs of Greece, Vassilis Kikilias, within the  UN International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Assembly in London, the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development reported.

Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Tamar Ioseliani also participated in the meeting. The parties highlighted the long-standing and successful cooperation between Georgia and Greece in the maritime sector.

“Greece is an important and reliable partner for us in the maritime field. For years, we have been actively cooperating, including in the employment of highly qualified Georgian personnel on vessels owned by Greek shipowners. However, it should be emphasized that there is even greater potential for collaboration across various areas, and today my colleague and I agreed to work actively in this direction,” said Mariam Kvrivishvili.

It is noteworthy that the Agreement “On Merchant Shipping between the Government of Georgia and the Government of the Hellenic Republic” has been in force since April 10, 1997. On May 5, 2014, the two countries signed a bilateral memorandum on the recognition of certificates confirming the competence of seafarers, facilitating the employment of Georgian seafarers on ships sailing under the Greek flag. The Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development expressed gratitude to the Greek side for the attention and support shown by Greek shipowners regarding the employment and social security of Georgian seafarers.