It is announced, that on November 2nd 2007 at 10.00, the Athens Multinational Sealift Coordination Center (AMSCC) will conduct, at the HNDGS Conference Hall on the ground floor, the first Strategic Sealift Advisory Committee Conference, with the participation of the president of the Hellenic Chamber of Shipping (NEE) Mr. George Gratsos, representatives from the Shipping Companies and Owners Union and the Deputy Chief of the Hellenic Coast Guard from the Ministry of Mercantile Marine, so they can be informed on the latest developments in the field of Strategic Sealifts of NATO and the EU.
During the conference of the aforementioned Committee a brief salutation speech will be given by the Minister of National Defense, Mr. Evangelos Meimarakis.
The AMSCC was established in November 2004, having as a mission to:
• Transmit the users request for ship chartering to the National Maritime Shipping Department of the Ministry of Mercantile Marine Aegean and Island Policy in order for the Department to hold a bidding competition according to its operational regulations.
• Monitor ships route from the port of loading until its destination port.
The aforementioned services will meet the requirements stemming from the International commitments of Greece to NATO, the EU, the UN and other International Organizations as well as the states participation in operations launched following UNSC orders.
Italy was the first state to cooperate with the AMSCC in the field of Strategic Sealift by signing a MOU in April 2007. Respective MOU’s were signed by Slovenia and the Czech Republic.
Additional respective cooperation agreements have been signed by SHAPE ( 20 September 2007), and the EU “ATHENA” Funding Mechanism (29 October 2007).
LTC Charalambos Laloussis
HNDGS Spokesman
