A declaration of intent for cooperation in the maritime sector was signed by the Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy, Mr Christos Stylianides, the Minister of Environment and Energy, Mr Theodoros Skylakakis, and the French Minister of State for Maritime Affairs and Biodiversity, Mr Hervé Berville.

The relevant declaration was signed on Monday 3 June 2024, at the Ministry of Environment and Energy and according to a statement, it includes the following areas of cooperation:

-Consultations between the two parties, on a regular basis, regarding the preparation of the United Nations Conference on Oceans 2025 (Nice, France, 9-13 June 2025).

It is noted that France and Greece are working together to broaden the alliance in favour of a moratorium or a preventive halt to deep-sea mining, as well as to advance negotiations on a global treaty to combat plastic pollution and to implement the objective of protecting the oceans, notably through the strengthening of networks of marine protected areas.

In the photo above are in order:

Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy, Mr Christos Stylianides 

Minister of Environment and Energy, Mr Theodoros Skylakakis

French Minister of State for Maritime Affairs and Biodiversity, Mr Hervé Berville

The two countries are working together to strengthen governance of the maritime economy sector, within the framework of the European Union (EU) and the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).

-Consulting on the development of offshore wind energy, through: exchanging experiences on production licences (price, award procedure) and seeking bilateral integration and industrial cooperation projects for the construction of offshore wind farms, in cooperation with companies in the sector, both in France and Greece.

-Looking for possibilities for joint actions or investment opportunities in the maritime sector, as well as cooperation for the adaptation of Greek and French ports to European and international environmental standards (fuel supply, electrification, etc.). The above initiatives are being promoted in line with the objectives decided at European and international level for the decarbonisation of maritime transport.

As stated by the Ministry of Shipping, cooperation between the two countries on the above issues – depending on the availability of resources – can be carried out by exchanging technical information, mobilising experts and sharing methods and tools, mobilising any useful/relevant partner to develop and achieve cooperation projects, etc.