“The government will proceed with a 300 million euro plan with additional resources from the European Investment Bank, so that the coastal shipping fleet is renewed and coastal shipping ships are converted into green ships. This means that there will be no obligation to pay pollution fees in the EU and therefore, we will be given the opportunity in the coming years to further reduce the prices of coastal shipping tickets,” said the Minister of Shipping and Insular Policy Vassilis Kikilias, in an interview he gave to the Real radio station and journalist Nikos Stravelakis.
The Minister clarified that the relevant announcements will be made in the fall, noting that “there will be a call for interest for coastal shipping companies of all types. Open ships, closed ships, day ships, ferry boats, high-speed ships and conventional ships. And because it has not been done for many years and it is our obligation and mine personally, in-depth work will be done at the Ministry of Shipping and the opportunity will be given to support those who are making an effort to renew their fleet.”
As Mr. Kikilias emphasized, “we must support our tourism in the summer with multiple routes, we must have barren lines that we finance. The government is obliged – and we will do so – to find a way to support this part that is part of our island identity. We will be there and we will enable coastal shippers to have a better, renewed, greener, more ecological and safer fleet.”
Regarding the migratory flows in Crete, the Minister noted that “in the last week, the flows are now zero. All of the illegal immigrants who were arrested for illegally entering the country have been transferred from Crete and are in closed PRO.KE.KA. structures on the mainland”. Regarding the migratory flows in the Eastern Aegean, he pointed out that an excellent job is being done by the men and women of the Coast Guard “who are permanently on the ramparts, doing their job with patriotism, day and night”.
Mr. Kikilias reiterated that societies and peoples in Europe serve these policies, which are consistent with “how the lives of our fellow citizens can be improved”, making it clear that “we are spreading a net of aid and support to real refugees coming from war zones. But that is one thing, and illegal immigration, which will not be tolerated, is another. Of course democracy, of course freedom, of course social and human rights, but at the same time, security of our borders and our country”.
