The Minister of Shipping and Island Policy, Vasilis Kikilias, highlighted the pivotal role of Greek shipping for the country’s development, in an interview he gave to MEGA, emphasizing that it can be Greece’s greatest driver of growth, creating investments, well-paid jobs and higher income for the average Greek family.

“It was our vision, and we put in a tremendous amount of effort, strategy, negotiations, and hard work to harness this immense power possessed by the Greek leading shipping industry —which is the world’s largest, generating 8–9% of GDP in revenue and 200,000 well-paid jobs—to use and leverage it in any negotiations. “We must create conditions such that our children do not have to leave the country,” the minister stated emphatically.

Mr. Kikilias noted that shipping does not concern only a small circle of people, but is a key pillar of development for Greek society as a whole, creating added value for local economies and new job opportunities.

“I don’t want people to think that a few wealthy shipowners are simply passing great wealth among themselves and profiting. The added value to the country from shipping is enormous. The part of the shipping industry involving shipyards, yachting, and marinas, along with the growth and revenue generated by coastal shipping, transporting millions of tourists to our islands every year, as well as all the professions built around it, can bring tremendous prosperity and growth to a region,” he said.

At the same time, he emphasized that strengthening port infrastructure creates new opportunities for businesses, logistics, catering, and security services, while also increasing the value of citizens’ property in local communities.

Referring to international geopolitical developments, the minister pointed out that Greece possesses a unique strategic advantage through Greek-owned shipping, which directly impacts energy security, transportation costs, inflation, and ultimately the cost of living for citizens.

“Greece accounts for 60% of European shipping and 20% of global shipping with Greek-owned vessels. 80% of global trade is conducted by sea. Therefore, how much energy will cost and how that cost will reach households, whether products will be expensive or cheap, whether we will have inflation, and whether we will have sufficient supplies, is directly linked to ocean shipping,” he emphasized.

Regarding coastal shipping, Mr. Kikilias made it clear that the top priority remains passenger safety and keeping ferry ticket prices in check.

“For us, safety in coastal shipping is above all else. From Piraeus alone, 10,700,000 passengers travel to our islands every tourist season. We have not raised ticket prices. We didn’t last year, and we haven’t so far this year either. This year, we allocated 60 million euros to support coastal shipping and prevent ticket price increases starting in March,” he emphasized.

In light of the recent incident on the Blue Star 2, the minister stated that safety protocols were implemented immediately and strictly to ensure passenger protection and the safe continuation of the voyage.

He also made special mention of the issue of illegal immigration, praising the work of the Coast Guard personnel and presenting the latest data on migration flows.

“Overall, compared to last year, we have seen a 23% decrease in flows. We have seen a 62% decrease from Turkey and a 68% increase from Libya. We have agreed with Frontex that Frontex aircraft and drones will no longer fly over Crete or over the sea. They will fly within twelve nautical miles of the Libyan coast,” he stated.

In closing, Mr. Kikilias also addressed political developments, noting that the government will be judged solely on its work, its relationship with society, and its effectiveness in addressing issues such as security, development, the economy, and inflation.