International Conference on Oceans to start on Tuesday in Athens

Greece, signaling its intention to contribute actively to the international challenges of the global climate crisis, take initiatives and support the protection of the oceans, is hosting the 9th international conference on the oceans “Our Oceans” (OOC-9), which will held April 16-17, at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center. It is an international institution, launched in 2014 on the initiative of the former US Secretary of State John Kerry and held every year in a different country, with the aim of bringing to the fore issues related to the protection of the seas.

“Our main goal is for this conference to produce tangible results. Not only to discuss about environmental protection, but also to proceed with tangible actions and commitments,” Minister of Foreign Affairs George Gerapetritis said at a recent press conference.

Greece will accompany this international organization with twenty commitments for the protection of Greek seas and the sustainability of economic activities. Commitments will be announced on the day of the conference, and some will be immediate, while some will extend to 2030. The first ones already announced concern the immediate institutionalization of two large, national, marine parks in the Ionian and the Aegean, which will be among the largest in the Mediterranean.