Minister of Transport discusses with Secretary-General of International Maritime Organization repercussions of Houthi attacks on ships
SMA NEWS – ADEN THE CAPITAL
Minister of Transport Dr. Abdul Salam Saleh Hamid welcomed on Tuesday, Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization, Arsenio Antonio Dominguez, in the capital Aden, to discuss the repercussions of the attacks of the Iranian-backed Houthi militias on commercial ships in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Gulf of Aden.
He pointed to their negative repercussions on the rise in insurance fees, shipping fees, and prices and costs of goods and services among the challenges facing the maritime transport sector.
He discussed ways to enhance cooperation and joint coordination between the ministry, representing the government, and the organization, stressing the country’s accession to 20 agreements and treaties of the International Maritime Organization, including the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution, the Convention on the Treatment of Oil Tanker Ballast Water, and the Nairobi Convention for the Removal of Shipwrecks.
He said that the ministry seeks to issue legislation to implement these agreements and treaties, noting that the ministry is in the process of issuing a list of ships and ports and forming the National Committee for Maritime Security in coordination and consultation with the Ministry of Legal Affairs for review and submission to the Council of Ministers for approval.
He pointed out the crisis of raising insurance on ships and classifying local ports as high-risk, which affected shipping fees and the increase in insurance negatively affected the economic situation and the livelihood of citizens, as a result of the terrorist attacks by the terrorist Houthi militias on international shipping lines and ships.
In turn, the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization expressed the organization’s commitment to providing all necessary assistance according to priorities to overcome the challenges it faces as a result of attacks on international navigation and maritime safety.
The two sides inspected the building of the General Authority for Maritime Affairs, and were briefed on the progress of work, activities and needs to develop the performance and tasks assigned to the Regional Center for the Exchange of Maritime Security Information affiliated with the Authority.
