Distinguished Guests , Ladies and Gentlemen ,
Welcome Address
Rear Admiral ΗΝ Georgios Floros Deputy Chief of the Hellenic Navy General Staff ( H . N . G . S .) On behalf of General Dimitrios Choupis , Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff ( H . N . D . G . S .) Vice Admiral HN Dimitrios -Eleftherios Kataras , Chief of the Hellenic Navy General Staff ( H . N . G . S .)
On behalf of the Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff General D . Choupis and the Chief of the Navy , Admiral D . E . Kataras , thank you for the invitation to participate in the SEC4BLUEconomy24 Conference . It is an honor and a privilege to address such a distinguished audience and reinforce the Importance of Maritime Critical Infrastructure ( MCI ) in the Maritime Environment .
The importance of Maritime Infrastructures ( ports , oilrigs ) in conjunction with the activities that are taking place , from and around them , constitutes a multifaceted and increasingly crucial issue that affects global security and global order . Furthermore , there exists a relatively new trend in maritime security affairs , which is part of the maritime infrastructures . I refer to Critical Underwater Infrastructures , known under the buzzword CUI .
Nowadays , global economy relies , more and more on infrastructure laid on seabed for information flow . Similarly , pipelines are essential for the transportation of oil and gas , directly affecting all the world ’ s energy markets and national economies . Therefore , protecting these assets is a paramount priority for global stability .
Despite the usually , great efforts undertaken for the protection of maritime infrastructures , threats can emanate from various sources , including :
a . Natural Hazards , such as earthquakes which could cause significant damage to ports , pipelines and cables . b . Accidental damage : Mostly but not restricted to CUI . As shipping activities ( the recent accident in the bridge of Baltimore ) or anchoring and fishing , could pose accidental threats . c . Intentional Acts from state or non-state actors . These acts could have a devastating effect not only on a national economy and security , but also on the global financial stability and growth . Some recent examples are the Russian airstrikes on Ukrainian maritime facilities , the Nord Stream pipeline explosion in September 2022 in the Baltic Sea , as well as the one in the Estonian-Finland natural gas pipeline in October 2023 .
1 / 3