John Faraclas
The BDI lost six points thanks to the surge of Panamaxes and the reduced fall of Capers. Geopolitics including the economy on Planet Ocean is in tatters. John Faraclas early daily briefing/recap:
The Capers’ fall was a …bit contained and the loss of 58 points brought the BCI down at 1,663 points.
The Panamaxes, which yesterday were up by three points, today gained twenty and the BPI now reads 1,251 points!
Gains, even on the low side for the Supras – up nine and the BSI now reads 832 points.
A point was lost for the Handies with the BHSI reading 515 points.
Ups and downs for the Wets; the last published BDTI (Dirties) and BCTI (Cleans) stood at 642 – plus five and 638 – minus four respectively. A very reverse so to speak situ…
The WTI, although I is too early, stands at US$ 60.17 although earlier on it even reach US$ 61.55… We are once again saying: CAUTION!!!!!!
The Geopolitical situation worsens and hopefully in NATO’s meeting the alliance got the message from Greece’s Defence Minister vis-a-vis the Turkish aggression in the entire east Med and NATO’s southern flank.
On the Financial front we are sure that by now you have read the grave financial situation in Italy and in France for which we had a mentioning yesterday. Also you must have read for the Hellenic Shipyards saga where US$ 600 mio are stake for unlawful subsidies as the EU claims. All this and many more issues are surfacing in possible, as have mentioned in the past, the biggest ever fraud and scandal, not just in Greece’s history, but on World’s history books. The Hellenic Shipyards (Scaramanga Yard) scandal MUST be aired. The workforce too and its labour syndicate TRIAINA must be also accountable, not just the respective ministers post the 1974 era… the scandal of scandals!!
Turkey continues its pestering policy towards not only Greece, but all around its frontiers and periphery nations; CAUTION as there we see a major accident of incalculable repercussions to all intents and purpsoses awaiting to happen!
In the Florida, USA, another carnage involving a 17 year old; gun law please!!!! Shooting and killing seventeen students is more than applicable to introduce new laws with respect the guns and also ensure in the future that warnings are appropriately managed and taken into consideration.-
In South Africa a new president has been nominated, Cyril Ramaphosa succeeding Jacob Zuma who FINALLY resigned; hope this change works!
That’s all for now, we will revert tonight with more Geopolitical news after the Isalos’ Forum at the Hellenic Centre here in London. Meantime stay on guard from any actions emanating from Pirates and terrorists looming in the background… Watch this space!
Uploaded 15:05 GMT
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The Geopolitical front still is headed by the MIGRANTS issue, an issue that already shakes Europe in particular to its foundations, given the different approach by all of its members states for different reasons of course, ignoring the fact that all are humans. However, all these years that the Syrian and Iraqi sagas are on, Europe has spectacularly failed to stop the flow of MIGRANTS both from Turkey as well as from lawless North Africa – Libya in particular, as if there is an invisible so to speak person/mind prohibiting this stoppage and control. MIGRANTS as far as Afghanistan and Somalia and many parts from Africa and the Subcontinent pour in destroying not only the social cohesion in Europe, but beyond that! Only a Naval Blockade with a mandate and rules of engagement can work.-
For the Turkish behaviour we have written numerous stories and complaints but it seems same fell on purpose, as things develop, to deaf ears. As for North Africa, again the NATO alliance and the EU have shown unacceptable and despicable inability to stop this flow. In both cases there has been loss of human lives of an unprecedented level. We wonder why NATO and the EU are afraid in stopping the Turks sending people over. Obviously blackmail is one of Turkish charismas. Obviously as things evolve, Turkey sides with its own vested interests and Putin’s Russia is supporting them to all intents and purposes, as an eventual Western / Christian so to speak action, will definitely make Turkey even leave NATO – they will not wait for NATO to expel them (Turks). The Russians need the straits of Dardanelles and the Turks continue to offer same against the Western interests. Never ever forget, that they (Russians – Soviets or whatever) sided (Kemal and Lenin) against the Greeks and their allies in the 1919-1922 saga… I guess the Turks have crossed the red line with Greece following the latest premeditated incident off the Greek Islets of Imia in the Central Eastern Aegean. CAUTION!
All other matters which we constantly report will be analysed tomorrow in our daily and weekly recap, but we note the harm inflicted to hundreds, to thousands of families following the shooting in a Florida school by Nikolas Cruz; society must change things on guns here and now before the next such carnage! There will be no excuses!
Stamos J. Fafalios
As we mentioned in our early reporting (please see above), we promised to revert on the Isalos event which was successful in its London debut!
A meticulous organised programme with selected keynote speakers and panel participants was warmly applauded by the 180 strong audience – full capacity at the Hellenic Centre’s Main Hall, the majority being students and members of the HESGB!
A warm welcome address by the very eloquent Stamos J. Fafalios, chairman of the Hellenic Centre, Ilias Bissias’ – the director of NAFTIKA CHRONIKA, introductory notes, led to the excellent keynote speaker Vassilios Kroustallis, senior vice president of ABS! Jon Standerwick’s – the chief executive of Maritime London, optimistic words, were also warmly applauded!
The first panel: on a l to r: Dimitris N. Monioudis, Ioannis Aabatzis, Constantin Corniciuc, Helen Polychronopoulou, Dr. Kostas G. Gkonis, John Carlton, Elpi Petraki and Stylianos Papageorgiou
There were three powerful panels; one on “The vessel of the future: what lies ahead”; one on “The Evolution of the shipping business: Greek and European maritime paradigms” and one on “An era of redevelopment. Today’s winds of change in geopolitics, finance and trade”.
The first panel was moderated by Dimitris N. Monioudis, president of the HESGB and technical director of Rethymnis & Kulukundis Ltd. A very strong seven-member team covering the entire issue delivering some very interesting points.
The second panel moderated by George Alexandridis, associate professor, director, MSc International shipping and finance/ICMA Centre Henley Business School – University of Reading, had the chance for more internal debate and double/triple questions by the moderator as two initially announced panellists couldn’t be present and warmed up the Great Hall!
Vassilios Kroustallis
The last panel was the most powerful of all having in its composition the Chairman of the GSCC, the outspoken speaker on all shipping-elated maters, Harry J. Fafalios. Good moderating skills by Michael Tamvakis, professor of commodity economics and finance, director, MSc in energy, trade and finance at Cass Business School.
All in all a more than great event and the message we wish to convey is that of the continuation of Greek shipping into the next generation within families and beyond.
Being in the industry for so many years, amongst others I was pleased to see this optimistic phenomenon on the continuation of the Greek shipping adventure. For example glad to see Elpi J. Petraki from Enea Management and vice president of WISTA Hellas deliver some very good points. Elpi is the daughter of my academia friends when studying shipping in London during the seventies, John and Marina Petrakis, the last-named epitomising also the strong charisma a woman must have to be a leader in shipping! Good also to see and meet from the audience during the networking sessions and reception afterwards Panos P. Drakoulakos from Moore Stephens; with his father Captain Panos we did sales and purchase of ships during the eighties, or George A. Pirinis from Cass Business School a neighbour; with his father we have a good business rapport! Needless to say the great number of women attending, amongst them Prof. Maria Lekakou from Greece – she doesn’t miss any such event, the up and coming Lilian Evgenides from Teekay, Stavriana Asprogiannidou from Marsh, Maria Skylodimou from the European Commission in Brussels and dozens of others, young men and women AND many friends from the international Greek shipping fraternity, showing the success of the event.
Jos Standerwick delivering his speech and part of the audience . At the front row fifth from the right a smiling and content Ilias G. Bissias.
From the supporters too and organisers will stand out The Real Time Graduates, the Greek Shipping Cooperation Committee, the American Bureau of Shipping – with Dr. Kirsi Tikka as always present and supporting such events, Intercargo headed by Dr. Kostas Gkonis, the academia with ALBA / The American College of Greece – Spyros Vougious as always present, many from the City University, the Hellenic Observatory. Henley Business School and transport upcoming giant Aegean Airlines. The GSCC with its powerful secretariat headed by its director Rt. Adm (HCG) Costas Amarantides played an important role leading to the success of this event.
This event also confirmed the excellent business relations existing for over 250 years between British and Greek shipping; a unique case given the London Greeks the most staunch supporter of the Square Mile for centuries now… at all given times vis-à-vis also the geopolitical and trading patterns and alliances!
I am sure the attending students as well as many from the industry’s heads learned a lot of valuable positions very helpful for their careers and business.
We will await the organisers report/ write up and will bring same to you when available.
Lastly on an Aristotelian Constructive Criticism note we refer to the Q&A issue: Q&A sessions are the lifeblood of any meeting: the opportunity to engage directly with speakers and presenters. We are taken aback at any attempt to dilute the spontaneity, and, dare we say it, the excitement of interchange of ideas and challenges with invited speakers. Routeing questions via smartphones and rating their popularity is a route to dumbing down and inhibiting debate, and could raise privacy issues. By all means, one might welcome questions from outside the meeting venue by technological means, but fundamentally: let us have respect for the usual and traditional manner of open Q&A!
Updated 23:30 GMT
