01.05.2006 · The Government

Prime Minister Meets with the IMO

Prime Minister Jóannes Eidesgaard held a meeting with Efthimios Mitropoulos, Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization. The Prime Minister stated that, as a seafaring nation, it was of paramount importance that we give safety at sea and the marine environment a very high priority.

Prime Minister Meets with the IMO

Prime Minister Jóannes Eidesgaard held a meeting with Efthimios Mitropoulos, Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization. This is the first time a political representative of the Faroes has met with the Secretary-General subsequent to the Faroes becoming a member of the IMO.

The Prime Minister took the opportunity to give an account of the importance the IMO has for the Faroes. The Prime Minister stated that, as a seafaring nation, it was of paramount importance that we give safety at sea and the marine environment a very high priority. The Prime Minister further stated that our membership in the IMO has meant that we now have an enhanced opportunity to keep pace with and influence international developments in this area.

The Prime Minister pointed out that the Faroes took particular interest in the development of maritime education. He informed the Secretary-General that in the Faroes 3,400 people are trained as ship's officers, 900 as engineers and 2,500 as navigators. The majority of these officers sail as chief engineers and captains on vessels not registered in the Faroes. As a consequence, it is thus absolutely critical that the Faroes remains on the IMO's STCW Convention so-called “white-list”, so that our countrymen can continue to exploit to the fullest their Faroese licenses and sign on vessels under any flag.

The Prime Minister noted also that we in the Faroes are aware of the major expansion of the oil industry into the Barents Sea, which gives rise to potentially increased transport of dangerous oil and gas cargo through the Faroese region. The Secretary General explained that the IMO maintains a keen eye on this development, but was of the opinion that nothing could be done to impede this development. On the other hand, it was of the greatest importance that the countries in the region have excellent emergency response procedures in place in the event an accident should occur and that collaboration takes place on the development and implementation of these procedures.

The Secretary General expressed his pleasure with Faroese membership in the IMO and welcomed the Prime Minister into this international co-operation.


Prime Minister Jóannes Eidesgaard (right) and Efthimios Mitropoulos, Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (left).