Trade with Greece
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no coincidence that one of the objectives is to
ensure coordination and cooperation between the
Greek presidency and the Italian presidency, which
will receive the torch in the second half of 2014.
As a matter of fact, based on the meetings of the
prime minister, Antonis Samaras, and the minister
of Foreign Affairs, Evangelos Venizelos, with Italy’s
prime minister, Enrico Letta, the year 2014 will be
proclaimed “The Year of the Mediterranean”, with
the aim of promoting, as part of the maritime
dimension, the maritime security strategy, the
cooperation among coastguard services, mar-
itime and coastal tourism and migration. Irregular
migration, being a maritime border security issue,
will be another horizontal theme that will run
through the priorities of the Greek presidency.
This case is also made by developments in the
Mediterranean, North Africa and the wider region
of the Middle East, as they threat to increase
migration flows to Greece (and Italy), which already
shoulders a disproportionately large burden.
As part of the integrated maritime policy, the
European Commission has proposed a common
A
fter all, Athens and Rome have agreed to
call the year 2014 “The Year of the
Mediterranean,” since maritime policy
will be one of the priorities of the Italian presiden-
cy, which will succeed Greece. Restarting and
redefining Maritime Policy, by including all its
facets (and not only the aspects that are related
to “Blue Growth”) is one of the key objectives set
by Athens, which, during the Greek presidency,
aims at achieving certain references in European
documents. The actions that will be taken will
span a wide range, including the Integrated
Maritime Policy of the “Marine and Maritime
Agenda for Growth and Jobs”, Maritime Spatial
Planning, the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative, the
Maritime Security Policy, Maritime and Coastal
Tourism, Migration through the Sea.
Athens, firm in its belief that the sea has been a
privileged field of knowledge and action for the
Greek people, adamantly declares that it intends to
cooperate with partners that have shared strategic
interests, and to promote strategies and policies
that will benefit all EU members. In this context, it is
2014: the Year of the
Mediterranean and
Maritime Policy
The integrated maritime policy and, through
this, the promotion of the distinctive char-
acter of the Mediterranean and the
Mediterranean countries, as well as the
resolution of the maritime zones issue, is
one of the key priorities of the Greek
presidency.
By Aristotelia Peloni
