During the meeting the ICS Chairman
highlighted the significance of free trade for the global economy and the industry’s
green transition.
Notably,
Mr Grimaldi emphasised to the G7 Transport Ministers the continued plight of
the 25 Galaxy Leader seafarers who are still being held captive by the Houthis.
Monday 15 April 2024, London: The Chairman of the International Chamber of
Shipping, Emanuele Grimaldi, attended a high-level meeting with the G7
Transport Ministers in the morning of Saturday 13 April 2024, in Milan. Mr Grimaldi was invited to the working
session on global maritime connectivity in the short, medium and long term.
During
the session the G7 Transport Ministers, with Mr Grimaldi and Cruise Line
International Association (CLIA) European Chairman Pierfrancesco Vago,
discussed the key issues currently being faced within the maritime sector such
as the conflict in the Middle East, and the conflict in Ukraine. They also
discussed the industry’s energy transition, as well as the importance of free
trade and maritime connectivity.
Commenting
on the sector’s security concerns ICS Chairman, Mr Grimaldi, said:
“What is at the heart of ICS is our
seafarers and we must ensure that they are not caught up in the crosshairs of
any conflicts such as what we are tragically seeing in the Red Sea at the
moment.”.
During
the meeting Mr. Grimaldi also highlighted the plight of the seafarers of
roll-on/roll-off vehicle carrier Galaxy Leader who continue to be held hostage
under the Houthis. “Please let us not
forget that the 25 crew members of the merchant vessel Galaxy Leader are still
being held hostage, for nearly five months now. This is unacceptable and their
urgent release is a paramount concern for the International Chamber of Shipping
and the industry as a whole.
“It
is an honour to have participated in this meeting and to work with the G7
Transport Ministers on the key challenges our sector faces. Our industry is global, and we must work collaboratively and
transparently to ensure that it remains resilient and robust. It is fair to
say we are living in challenging times, with many Black Swan events and times
of conflict testing us but together we can meet these challenges head on.”
Following
the seizure on the containership MSC Aries the International Chamber of
Shipping issued a statement condemning utterly this attack by Iranian forces on
Saturday 13 April. The welfare of the 25 innocent seafarers that are now being
held hostage are the highest priority and ICS called for the immediate release
of the seafarers and the vessel.
During
the meeting Mr Grimaldi also stressed to the G7 Transport Ministers how the
recent events over the past few years have led to exceptional levels of demand
at a time when conflict and major crisis create significant strain on the
supply chain..
The International Chamber of Shipping
committed to continuing its dialogue with the G7, including during its annual Shaping
the Future of Shipping Summit. This year the event, that historically convenes
over 200 maritime leaders and CEOs from across the world, will focus on ‘Global
Trade – Risk and Resilience’ and will be held in Montreal, Canada. ICS is
already working with the government of Canada and to ensure that the topics
covered during the G7 working sessions be of primary focus.