In a climate of close cooperation and with a shared vision for the protection of the marine environment, the meeting of the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for the Oceans and Chair of the Environment Committee of the Parliament, Dr. Dionysia-Theodora Avgerinopoulou, with Ambassador Olivier Poivre d’Arvor, Special Envoy of the French Prime Minister and President Emmanuel Macron for the Oceans and the Poles, took place. The focus of their discussion was the deepening of the Greek-French cooperation for the protection of the seas, which is now acquiring a central role on the European agenda, following the recent joint initiative for the creation of a group for the protection of the seas within the framework of the EU Councils of Ministers.
The two Envoys, who have already built a close collaboration since the 9th Our Ocean Conference hosted in Athens and the 3rd UN Ocean Conference (UNOC-3) in Nice, focused on the design and implementation of bilateral and multilateral initiatives. The two sides discussed international and European policies for the protection of the marine environment and focused in particular on the European initiative for the observation and surveillance of the Oceans “OceanEye”, as well as the €1 billion investment package “Ocean Pact”, which finances more than 90 actions ranging from marine science to support for coastal and island regions. The subject of discussion was Greece’s decision to participate in the intergovernmental organization « Mercator » based in France, which develops advanced digital monitoring systems, as well as in the voluntary coalition « Ocean Pioneers » which leads the implementation of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity beyond National Jurisdiction, actively contributing to the integration of the oceans in climate policies and in the international discussion on the suspension of deep-sea mining.
After their meeting, Ms. Avgerinopoulou stated:
« Greece is steadily strengthening its role in international maritime governance, confirming its position as a naval power with global responsibility.
The shared will of the Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and the French President, Emmanuel Macron, and the strategic alliance between Greece and France confirms that the protection of the oceans and the Mediterranean is a common European priority for sustainable development and future generations. »
source : the dockrat
