Minister of Transport Highlights Qatar's Achievements in Maritime Transport in 33rd Assembly of IMO

London, November 28 (QNA) - HE Minister of Transport Jassim bin Saif Al Sulaiti highlighted on Tuesday the State of Qatar's major steps on the path of qualifying its maritime manpower in accordance with the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) objectives, as well as the great priority the State of Qatar gives to women's empowerment in the industry in line with the IMO's resolutions that aim at creating barrier-free work environments for women in maritime.
       In a speech addressed in the plenary session of the 33rd Assembly of the IMO, held at the organization's headquarters in London, His Excellency said that the State of Qatar has set the preservation of the marine environment as a core goal in all its plans. The State of Qatar has put together a national plan of action for managing and preserving marine resources, thereby supporting the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030), and is planning to establish marine reserves in an area of 30 miles of Qatari waters over the next ten years.
       His Excellency noted the efforts provided and made by the organization to ensure the safety and security of maritime navigation and the protection of the marine environment. He went on to highlight the State of Qatar's achievements in the maritime transportation industry in terms of updating the relevant laws, legislations and plans in line with universal conventions and standards concerned with the safety of life at seas, protecting the marine environment and maritime security.
       Al Sulaiti said that having Hamad Port being internationally recognized as one of the biggest green ports in the world shows high compliance by the State of Qatar and its organizations to domestic and universal environmental standards and the adoption of the latest innovative practices based on environmental sustainability and clean energy, adding that the State of Qatar is currently working on supplying the vessels with very low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO) in such an essential step towards protecting the environment in the region and the world.
       He said that the State of Qatar's investments in infrastructure projects of the transportation sector and its support logistics services have contributed to delivering an integrated transit system that helps achieve the goals of the Qatar National Vision 2030. Al Sulaiti said the Qatari maritime transportation industry has seen remarkable progress at all levels, particularly commercial, industrial and tourist ports, shipbuilding and dry docks.
       Regarding trade exchange and raising competitiveness in terms of managing and operating Qatari ports, the Minister of Transport said that multiple agreements were signed with several countries and ports, particularly in the energy industry, to export gas aboard the world's largest LNG tankers, which, in the near future, will be the world's largest gas shipping fleet that the country established to play as the main shipping factor on the LNG supply chain worldwide.
       Al Sulaiti went on to say that the State of Qatar has been taking the approach of overseas investments into commercial ports, aiming to foster its competitiveness in terms of managing and operating commercial ports to achieve sustainable development for the national economy through long-term investments and common interests and, hereunto, the Qatari model of investing in ports presented the principle of permanent partnership.
       Concluding his remarks, HE the Minister of Transport stressed that the State of Qatar will continue its commitment to cooperating with the IMO to achieve its objectives and principles and that the State of Qatar will continue working tirelessly to be at the level of faith put in it by the Member States that will support our candidature for reelection to the membership of the IMO Council in Category C. (QNA)