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Balkans News

13 Jul 2023

Gastrade Awards Alexandroupolis LNG Terminal Towage Contract to Svitzer

(Photo: Svitzer)

A.P. Moller-Maersk's towage arm Svitzer announced it has signed a 15-year agreement to service Gastrade’s Alexandroupolis Independent Natural Gas System (Alexandroupolis INGS) LNG terminal—the first offshore LNG project in Greece—set to become operational in the beginning of 2024. The project marks Svitzer’s entry into the Greek market.Svitzer will set up towage services and support for LNG operations at the new import terminal, including support for a floating storage regasification…

10 Dec 2020

Tito's Restored Former Flagship to Become Hotel and Museum in Croatia

The restored flagship of former Yugoslav leader Josip Broz Tito is being converted into a hotel and a museum devoted to its turbulent history, from banana boat to meeting place for world statesmen.Berthed in Croatia’s Adriatic port of Rijeka, the Galeb (Seagull) will open to the public in its new role next year.The ship was built in 1938 in Italy to transport bananas from Africa. During World War Two, it was used first by the Italian navy and then by the Germans and it was sunk by Allied planes at the end of the war.In communist Yugoslavia, it was retrieved and converted into a yacht used by Tito for his many journeys across the globe.During that time…

28 Sep 2020

U.S., Greece Call for Peaceful Resolution of East-Med Maritime Disputes

Oruc Reis seismic vessel - Credit: Sergey Moroz

The United States and Greece called on Monday for a peaceful resolution of maritime disputes in the east Mediterranean as U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo began a two-day trip to Greece amid increased regional tension over energy resources.NATO allies Greece and Turkey, at loggerheads on a range of issues, have agreed to resume exploratory talks over contested maritime claims following weeks of tensions that culminated in a collision between their warships."The United States and Greece ..

30 Jan 2019

2,275 Migrants Perish in Mediterranean in 2018

Six people died each day attempting to cross Mediterranean in 2018, the latest ‘Desperate Journeys’ report, released by the UN Refugee Agency said.According to the report by United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), an estimated 2,275 died or went missing crossing the Mediterranean in 2018, despite a major drop in the number of arrivals reaching European shores.In total, 139,300 refugees and migrants arrived in Europe, the lowest number in five years, it said.“Saving lives at sea is not a choice, nor a matter of politics, but an age-old obligation,” said Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees. “We can put an end to these tragedies by having the courage and vision to look beyond the next boat…

30 Jan 2018

Syrian Migrants Picked up from Italian Trawler

A group of migrants, including 11 Syrians, were rescued on Tuesday from an Italian fishing trawler in the Adriatic Sea and taken to Montenegro, police said. Montenegro's coastal security sent out a rescue team after Erica, a 15 metre-long (50 feet) vessel, put out a distress signal 17 nautical miles (31 km) off the coast, said Safet Kocan, director of maritime safety. The Italian ship with migrants on board was finally moored in the Montenegrin port of Zelenika, inside the Boka Kotorska bay. Police said there were 11 Syrian nationals on the vessel, two people from Morocco and two from Yemen, one person from Afghanistan and one from Pakistan. The group included four children. "The distress call was sent this morning ...

01 May 2017

DMCA Visits Seacor Marine

Dubai Maritime City Authority visits Seacor Marine, a major operator of offshore marine support vessels, to further reinforce local maritime sector in partnership with private sector. Led by Amer Ali, Executive Director of DMCA, and Nawfal Al Jourani, Chief Officer of the Dubai Maritime Cluster Office, the DMCA’s delegation discussed best solutions and efficient measures to further capitalize on promising opportunities and address current and emerging challenges facing Dubai’s maritime community. The visit is in line with the DMCA’s commitment to achieve the happiness and satisfaction of customers and maritime stakeholders, as well as strengthen Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) to enhance the maritime sector's competitiveness and make Dubai one of the world's leading maritime capitals.

11 Jan 2017

Freezing Med Attracts Unusual Diesel Cargoes

Tankers diverted in mid-Atlantic to Med; in rare arbitrage, cargoes from Europe into Med. At least one tanker carrying diesel en route to New York has been diverted in the mid-Atlantic to the Mediterranean, where freezing weather from North Africa to the Balkans has boosted demand for heating oil and sharply lifted prices. At the same time, two 30,000-tonne tankers - the Torm Gyda and Nord Bell - have been booked by Glencore to go from northwest Europe to the Mediterranean, according to shipping data and traders. The vessels were carrying either diesel or higher-sulphur-content gasoil, traders said. Maersk Progress, chartered by BP to carry a 110…

28 Nov 2016

Majo Appointed President of Civitavecchia, Gaeta and Fiumicino Port Authority

International law firm Watson Farley & Williams (“WFW“) is delighted to announce that Rome corporate Counsel Francesco Maria di Majo has been appointed president of the prestigious Port Authority of Civitavecchia, Gaeta and Fiumicino (Lazio Region, Italy). The appointment was confirmed today by Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Mr Graziano Delrio, following approval from the Italian Chamber of Deputies’ Transport Commission on 15 November 2016. The Port Authority of Civitavecchia, Gaeta and Fiumicino is a key maritime hub for Rome and the central Italian regions of Campania, Umbria, Tuscany and Marche, linking them to the rest of the Mediterranean and beyond, as well as offering access to some of Italy’s most popular tourist destinations and captivating cruise routes.

25 Aug 2016

Hellenic Petroleum Profits Rise on Higher Exports

Hellenic Petroleum, Greece's biggest oil refiner, posted a 20 percent rise in second-quarter core profit on Thursday, with higher exports offseting lower refining margins. The company, which exports diesel and gasoline to markets in the southeastern Mediterranean and the Balkans, saw refining margins fall as much as 35 percent from $7.3 per barrel and a marginal decline of demand in the domestic market, it said. Exports of diesel and gas doubled to a record high of 2.300 metric tonnes, which contributed to 60 percent of total sales, the company said in a statement. Total sales stood at 4,006 metric tonnes from 2,950 metric tonnes in the second quarter of 2015.

18 Jun 2016

Countries Must Do More to help Greece with Migrant Crisis - U.N. chief

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called on Saturday for countries to do more to help cope with Europe's migrant crisis, saying Greece could not manage on its own. Speaking in Athens before heading to the Greek island of Lesbos, the gateway into Europe for nearly a million people last year, Ban said Greece had shown "remarkable solidarity and compassion" in dealing with the hundreds of thousands of migrants fleeing war, despite its economic hardship. "Greece should not be left alone to address this challenge on its own," Ban told reporters after meeting Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras. "We must work together to protect people and address the causes of displacement.

03 May 2016

113 Migrants Drown in Libya-Italy Weekend Transits

An estimated 113 people died in four shipwrecks between Libya and Italy at the weekend as the crossing becomes the preferred sea route for migrants to Europe, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Tuesday. With the closing of land routes in the Balkans and a recent deal under which Greece sends migrants back to Turkey, Italian officials have said they expect more people to try to make this longer and much more dangerous crossing from Libya. In one of four incidents, an Italian merchant ship rescued 26 people off the coast of Libya in rough seas and others were feared missing, Italy's Coast Guard said on Saturday.

30 Apr 2016

Italian Ship Rescues 26 Migrants off Libya

An Italian merchant ship rescued 26 migrants off the coast of Libya in rough seas and others were feared missing, the Coast Guard said on Saturday. The Coast Guard received a call from a satellite telephone on Friday but no voice was heard. It tracked the signal to a location about seven miles off the Libyan coast, a spokesman said. An Italian merchant vessel in the area was diverted and on Friday night rescued the 26 from a rubber boat that had taken on water. The spokesman said such boats used by human traffickers can hold between 100-120 people and are usually full but no information was available on the number that might be missing.

30 Mar 2016

Migrant Arrivals to Greece Rise Sharply

Arrivals of refugees and migrants to Greece from Turkey rose sharply on Wednesday, just over a week since the European Union and Turkey struck a deal intended to cut off the flow. Greek authorities recorded 766 new arrivals between Tuesday morning and Wednesday morning, up from 192 the previous day. Most arrived on the northeastern Aegean island of Lesbos. Italy reported an even larger jump in arrivals on Tuesday, when officials there said 1,350 people - mostly from Africa - were rescued from small boats taking the longer migration route over the Mediterranean as the weather warmed up. The EU Commission said on Tuesday that the flows in the last week had reduced…

06 Feb 2016

COSCO Plans European Transhipment Hub

China's COSCO is forging ahead with a plan to build a European transhipment hub, reports Reuters. The state owned shipping giant is expected to make an offer for Greece's rail network after becoming the sole bidder for the country's largest port. Buying TRAINOSE and Piraeus Port would give COSCO maritime connections to the Suez Canal and rail links to the Balkans and central and Eastern Europe. However, COSCO could face competition for the rail network, including from U.S. railroad holding company Watco. According to sources, apart from COSCO and Watco, a  Greek group  is interested are interested in TRAINOSE and is looking for a partner. Privatisation agency HRADF had invited suitors for TRAINOSE, the sole provider of rail services in Greece, to express interest from Feb.

05 Feb 2016

COSCO Also Eyes Greek Train Network

China's COSCO already the sole bidder for Greece's Piraeus Port. Buying both would give COSCO a European transhipment hub. China's COSCO is expected to make an offer for Greece's rail network after becoming the sole bidder for the country's largest port, two people familiar with the matter said, as the state owned shipping giant forges ahead with a plan to build a European transhipment hub. Buying TRAINOSE and Piraeus Port would give COSCO maritime connections to the Suez Canal and rail links to the Balkans and central and Eastern Europe. Bolstered by December's merger with China Shipping Group , COSCO's focus on Greece is about building market share at a time of anguish in a bruised and oversupplied shipping sector, industry sources said.

28 Aug 2015

Migrant Boat Sinks off Libya; 200 Feared Dead

A boat packed with mainly African migrants bound for Italy sank off the Libyan coast on Thursday and officials said up to 200 might have died. A security official in the western town of Zuwara, from where the overcrowded boat had set off, said there had been around 400 people on board. Many appeared to have been trapped in the hold when it capsized. By late in the evening, the Libyan coast guard rescued around 201, of which 147 were brought to a detention facility for illegal migrants in Sabratha, west of Tripoli, the official said, asking not to be named. Another local official and a journalist based in Zuwara confirmed the sinking but also had no information on casualties.

06 May 2015

Suspected Migrant Smugglers Arrested

German police arrested three men on Wednesday suspected of belonging to an organised criminal group that smuggles people from Africa to the European Union. Around 7,000 migrants, most from Africa, were rescued from boats in the Mediterranean last weekend and around 900 drowned last month on a boat heading to Italy - all victims of people-smuggling operations. Other migrants endure dangers of another kind, smuggled over land routes via the Balkans. Cologne police said they searched properties in the states of North-Rhine Westphalia and Schleswig-Holstein in the early hours of Wednesday morning and detained one 22-year-old man and two other males aged 26.

24 Apr 2015

Rescue Ships Head for Libya, as Migrants Die Also in Balkans

British and German warships made ready to sail for waters off Libya as Europe ramped up rescue operations in the Mediterranean after up to 900 desperate migrants drowned last weekend on a boat heading for Italy. Yet hours after European Union leaders agreed in Brussels on Thursday to treble funding for EU maritime missions and pledged more ships and aircraft, 14 clandestine migrants were killed when a train ploughed into dozens of Somalis and Afghans making their way in darkness along a rail track in a Macedonian gorge. The incident highlighted the variety of routes that growing numbers are taking to escape war and poverty in Asia, Africa and the Middle East and chance their luck in a wealthy region that offers, at best, a chilly welcome.

08 Dec 2010

Croatia's Brodotrogir Shipyard May Have No Future

According to a report from www.balkans.com, after recent talks in Brussels between the European Union and Croatia on the matter of shipbuilding industry, Croatian Parliament representative Jerko Rosin of the ruling HDZ (Croatian Democratic Union) has suggested the Brodotrogir Shipyard in the southern town of Trogir has no economic future. (Source: www.balkans.com)

16 Jul 2014

CEVA launches City of Energy in Middle East

CEVA Logistics, one of the world’s leading global supply chain management companies, today announced the official opening of the City of Energy in the United Arab Emirates. The hub, which covers an area of 27,000 sqm of warehouse space and 10,000 sqm of yard space, is strategically located in Jebel Ali Free Zone in Dubai and is fully dedicated to the warehousing and handling of oil and gas products for the Energy sector. The cutting-edge logistics platform is unique in the Middle East, being the first logistics company with a facility dedicated solely to the oil and gas market. The City of Energy will house CEVA’s oil and gas customers and will be home to CEVA’s dedicated Oil & Gas and project logistics team.

17 Jul 2014

EU Adriatic and Ionian Strategy Targets Blue Growth

Better cooperation between countries in the Adriatic and Ionian regions is needed to address shared challenges and better exploit joint opportunities, the EU Fisheries department said today in a statement. The strategy was officially launched in June 2014 to help facilitate this coordination while also helping the regions' 70 million citizens to benefit from a boost in the maritime economy, the preservation of the marine environment, stronger transport and energy links and increased tourism. The Strategy will also provide a valuable opportunity for non EU-countries to work alongside EU members, in particular contributing to the integration of the Western Balkans into the European Union.

21 Oct 2014

Maritime Broadband Opens Office in Greece

Maritime Broadband has expanded its worldwide footprint by opening an office, Maritime Broadband Hellas, in Athens, Greece. The new office addresses the growing international demand for its C-Bird VSAT communications solution and spearheads sales and service support in the region. Maritime Broadband Hellas, which is headed by Managing Director, Thanasis Giamas, employs a four-person staff fluent in English, Greek and French to serve the most prolific shipping companies throughout Europe and the world via its global channel partners.

18 Mar 2009

Aegean Marine Expands to Greek Market

Aegean Marine Petroleum Network Inc. (NYSE:ANW) has established operations in Patras, Greece, expanding the company's presence in the Mediterranean. Patras, located on the western coast of Greece, serves as a strategic commercial hub connecting Greece and the Balkans with Italy and the rest of Western Europe. The port, ranking second in Greece in terms of size, caters to all segments of shipping and has a particular emphasis on the international ferry business. Aegean has been serving the Patras market on a limited basis since the second quarter of 2008 from its base in Piraeus. The company plans to assign four of its Piraeus' stationed double-hull bunkering tankers to this market.