V. Kikilias: “Shipping included in the Greece–US Strategic Dialogue for the first time / The goal is measurable results for citizens”

Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy Vassilis Kikilias discussed the significance of shipping being included for the first time as a separate thematic area in the Greece–US Strategic Dialogue, efforts to address migration flows from Libya, and the need to uphold New Democracy’s principles and values, in an interview with journalist Giorgos Papachristos on MEGA NEWS 104.6 radio.

Referring to the sixth Greece–US Strategic Dialogue, Mr Kikilias stressed: “For the first time, shipping was included as a distinct area of this dialogue, carrying institutional weight, with the United States recognising Greece as a strong and reliable maritime power with an important role in international transport, trade and the global economy.”

The Minister spoke about the sustained work that had preceded this development, including meetings he had held in Athens and Washington, noting that these efforts had been pursued quietly and without media fanfare. He added that, if Greece makes the most of this development, it will be able, through shipping, to exert significant influence on primary production, transport, imports and market prices. “You can see that a great deal has happened recently in trade, energy and shipping. I feel and hope that all this will soon deliver measurable results for citizens,” he said.

Regarding migration flows from Libya, Mr Kikilias said that, while the country faces serious internal problems, it is also under migration pressure from other parts of Africa, such as Sudan and Egypt. As a result, small, unseaworthy craft — even rowing boats — travel hundreds of nautical miles from the Libyan coast, carrying migrants to southern Crete. “That is why we strengthened our operational capacity in Crete this year. We appointed the former commander of the Coast Guard’s aerial assets as regional commander, and he is working with Frontex. We also stationed a permanent Coast Guard liaison officer in Libya, while the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is making the necessary efforts to coordinate with the Libyan authorities. It is not easy. We are trying to work with the Libyan Coast Guard and to manage the situation at the limits of our territorial waters and theirs, alerting them early so that they can come and pick these people up. Beyond that, the law of the sea and international conventions state that when people are at sea and in danger, there is no question about it: you go there and carry out search and rescue,” he stressed.

Mr Kikilias placed particular emphasis on the difficult conditions in which Coast Guard personnel operate in the Mediterranean. “It is one thing for the Hellenic Coast Guard to operate two, three or four nautical miles out in the eastern Aegean, between islands and the mainland, and quite another to operate 80 or 90 nautical miles out in the open Mediterranean,” he said. He also condemned smuggling networks, describing those involved as criminals who exploit people and put their lives at risk. “This is a ‘business’ worth hundreds of millions of dollars. It is utterly sordid and utterly tragic. They cast these unfortunate people out to sea and then abandon them,” he said.

On the management of arrivals in Crete, the Minister described the establishment of a temporary facility in Chania as the right decision. “That is why the people of Chania have not seen a single migrant this year. Those who arrive remain inside the facility, and the Ministry of Migration then takes responsibility for them,” he said, expressing the hope that a similar solution would soon be found in Heraklion, with the ultimate aim of curbing smugglers’ activities.

Turning to domestic politics, Mr Kikilias spoke about the need to reconnect with citizens who had distanced themselves from New Democracy in previous years, as well as the importance of preserving the movement’s political identity. “There are people who, from 2019 onwards, ‘stayed at home’, and we want those people back. There are supporters of our movement who consistently stand by us, who are at our side and have never abandoned us. People must feel satisfied and proud of us, of our policies, of the way we conduct ourselves in public debate and of our values — and, I repeat, we must not stray from our DNA,” he stressed.

In closing, he emphasised that New Democracy remains open to everyone who accepts its principles and values, linking the preservation of its political identity to the movement’s enduring resilience. “We welcome everyone who accepts our movement’s DNA, our values and our principles, and aligns with them. These are what have made us the only political movement to have endured throughout the 52 years since the restoration of democracy, while the others struggled greatly, collapsed and now have a different standing in the polls,” the Minister said.