“The new CCIP is the evolution of the Operations Chamber of the old Department of Merchant Marine. Unfortunately, since 1980 the Chamber has remained the same. This is unacceptable,” said the Minister of Shipping and Island Policy, Vassilis Kikilias, referring to the tender for the new Operations Centre of the Coast Guard, during an interview with Real FM.

As he explained, “a state-of-the-art digital Operations Centre with artificial intelligence capabilities, real-time operational imagery linked to drones, cameras, sensors, satellite imagery and multiple data sources, both open and closed, has already been put out to tender. Only in this way, in the modern era, can officers in the Coast Guard leadership make the right decisions in a timely manner for any crisis that arises.”

The Minister noted that the new operational doctrine of the Coast Guard involves, among other things, dealing more effectively with illegal immigration, illegal fishing, policing marine parks, protecting critical energy infrastructure such as FSRUs and drilling, and laying and guarding undersea cables.

Referring to the projects of the “AIGIS 2” programme, Mr Kikilias said that by the end of the summer all major tenders related to the modernisation of the Coast Guard, including the VTMIS and ESOTHE systems, as well as the new operational means, will have been announced.

As he said, “VTMIS is mainly about the navigation picture, i.e. it monitors the movement of all ships, helps in the management of maritime traffic, enhances the safety of navigation and gives our Coast Guard an immediate picture of which ships are moving, where they are moving, under what conditions.

About the ESOTHE, he explained that “it is a national system of integrated maritime surveillance. It is not only about the movement of ships, but about the overall surveillance of the maritime borders, the complete operational picture in the scope of the Coast Guard and the interconnection with the Ministry of National Defence in some parts.”

Kikilias also said that the tendering procedures for two 80-metre-long open sea vessels, which will operate in the area south of Crete and in the wider Eastern Mediterranean, as well as for ten high-speed pursuit vessels and six coastal patrol vessels, are proceeding immediately. At the same time, the procurement of unmanned surface vessels, unmanned submarines and drones, which will be operationally integrated into the new Operations Centre, is underway.

With regard to illegal fishing by Turkish fishing boats, the Minister noted that the issue had already been raised with the European Union’s Fisheries Commissioner, stressing that “our borders are also European maritime borders, for which we have an obligation, as a European family, to intervene”.

As he stressed, “fishing is vital for our fishermen and is an inalienable and sovereign right of the country, which we will not dispense with. We are present every day, in all lengths and breadths of the Aegean.”

The Minister also referred to the tender of the port of Elefsina by the State Development Fund, noting that port infrastructure is a source of development and added value for local communities.

As he said, “there deserves to have a port and a marina and the residents deserve to see their quality of life upgraded, to see more economic activity around the port, but in general there is a recovery in the maritime professions.”

He stressed that an international tender will be held for the port of Elefsina, noting that “we are a modern, modern European country and it could not be otherwise,” adding that “it is more than obvious that the Americans have returned to the country with a willingness to invest, something we did not see ten, fifteen or twenty years ago. Now, we are pleased to see that this is adding value to the country.”

Finally, the Minister referred to the New Democracy congress, noting that “the identity of our party was historically shaped by the citizens and our values are our basis and foundations, they are what ensure our resilience and the cohesion of our social base.”

At the same time, he stressed that “our party was and remains a party of social majority, with reference to the many, the middle class and society, elements that are directly linked to its historical path and the relationship of trust with citizens.”

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