Lieutenant General Osama Rabie witnesses the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the International Chamber of Shipping
Lieutenant General Osama Rabie, Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority, and Mr. Guy Plattine, Secretary General of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), discussed mechanisms for enhancing joint cooperation in light of developments in the current situation in the Red Sea region and its negative repercussions on the sustainability of global supply chains, at the Guidance Building. In Ismailia Governorate.
The meeting was attended by John Stubert, Senior Director for Environment and Trade Affairs at the International Chamber of Shipping, Ms. Mimi Lamloum, Policy Officer and Secretary of the Chamber’s Canals Subcommittee, and Mr. Keiji Tsachiya, Chairman of the Subcommittee. For the channels of the International Chamber of Navigation and the Japanese Shipowners Association, Mr. Fujimoto from the Japanese Shipowners Association, and Engineer Sherine Al-Najjar, Chairman of the Al-Najjar Group for Maritime Transport.
At the beginning of the meeting, the team confirmed Osama Rabie said that the Suez Canal continues to provide its navigational and logistical services and achieves effective and continuous communication with all international maritime organizations and institutions for consultation and continuous coordination to ensure the sustainability of global supply chains.
He explained The Chairman of the Authority said that navigation rates in the Suez Canal were severely affected due to the security concerns of many shipping companies and ship owners and their taking of alternative routes It lacks a navigational safety factor, and the operational cost and risk cost of maritime shipping increases in light of the long journey, poor sailing conditions, and the lack of maritime services on alternative routes.
The Chairman of the Authority noted Until the Suez Canal began implementing an ambitious strategy to provide integrated logistical and maritime services by adding a package of services that had not been provided before To meet the requirements of transiting ships in normal and emergency circumstances as part of the efforts made to transform the Suez Canal into a regional center for providing various maritime and logistical services.
For his part, Mr. Guy Plattine, Secretary-General, expressed To the International Chamber of Shipping, he expressed his aspiration to continue cooperation with the Suez Canal Authority and to present visions and consult on work mechanisms to confront the current challenges in the Red Sea region, stressing that the return of the major shipping lines to transit through the Suez Canal is inevitable as soon as stability returns to the region, hoping that it will witness the beginning of next year. A major breakthrough at all levels and stability in the security and political situation in the region.
Platin praised the efforts made by the Suez Canal Authority to ensure the regularity of navigation in the canal in light of the current circumstances, appreciating the flexible handling of the crisis and the ambitious future outlook it carries. Serious steps taken by the Authority for green transformation and supporting infrastructure projects through the continuation of projects to develop the canal’s navigational course and develop the package of navigational services provided to passing ships.
The Secretary General of the Chamber of Shipping confirmed The international community believes that the future holds more promising opportunities to increase trade traffic through the Suez Canal during the next year, as soon as the situation in the region stabilizes, in light of the canal’s reduction in the level of harmful carbon emissions and savings in fuel consumption, in line with the future trends of the maritime transport industry And the initiatives of the International Maritime Organization “IMO” By reducing the level of harmful emissions and increasing reliance on green fuel.
On the sidelines of the meeting, Lieutenant General Osama Rabie, Chairman of the Authority, witnessed The signing ceremony of a memorandum of understanding for the continuation of joint cooperation between the Suez Canal Authority and the International Chamber of Shipping, which is the culmination of fruitful cooperation over the past years and a renewal of work on previous memorandums of understanding.
The terms of cooperation stipulate activating communication between the two sides and allowing the exchange of information. And expertise, in addition to marketing the marine and logistical services provided by the Authority To its customers, as well as following up on developments related to projects to develop the canal’s navigational course, the marketing and pricing policies pursued by the authority, and ways to enhance navigational security and follow global environmental standards to reduce harmful carbon emissions.
The memorandum of understanding was signed by Dr. Fathi Abdel-Bari, Director of the Planning Department. And research and studies at the Suez Canal Authority, and Mr. Guy Platten, Secretary General of the International Chamber of Shipping.
The visit included an inspection of the various training simulators at the Maritime Training and Simulation Academy, followed by a visit to the Suez Canal Museum and learning about its most prominent historical collections, then taking a tour. freely in the Suez Canal.
