Malta to host 2nd International Maritime Forum in the year 2000

The delegation led by the Minister for Transport and Communications, the Hon. Censu Galea returned from Kavala, in Greece, where the Minister addressed the first International Maritime Forum for the Central and Eastern Mediterranean countries.

The forum, which was organised under the auspicies of the Directorate for Maritime Affairs of the European Union, discussed various matters concerning the Maritime Information Society Initiatives (MARIS) programme, particularly regarding the promotion of Information and Communication Technologies in the Maritime Sector.

Following talks with the cabinet office of E.U. Commissioner Martin Bangemann, Malta was invited to host the 2^nd Forum during the year 2000 in a date to be established later, whereas Cyprus is to host the 3^rd Forum in 2001. Malta was also given the faculty to prepare an agenda for this forum. Minister Galea, whilst accepting this invititation, said that it is important to keep the impetus of this forum, so that the countries in the Mediterranean region would be able to integrate in the existing wider link of other established Information societies.

The Forum was also addressed by the Minister for the Environment of Greece, Prof. Venizelos, and also by Ministers and Deputy Ministers from other Mediterranean countries, and the European Commission. There were also technical discussions during workshops held in the afternoon. The forum ended in evening with a plenary session, during which papers were read by the respective rapporteurs of these workshops.