IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim travelled to Georgia this week for a series of events and high-level meetings with ministers and officials. First, he delivered a keynote address at the Georgia International Maritime Forum (GIMF) in Batumi, Georgia (13 September). Mr. Lim emphasized that communication and collaboration between the shipping, port and logistics sectors are crucial to enable the maritime industry to reach its full potential.
Secretary-General Lim also paid a courtesy call on the Prime Minister of Georgia, H.E. Mr. Mamuka Bakhtadze. During the meeting, special emphasis was placed on the importance of developing maritime transport and Georgia's role as an international investment, communications, transport and logistics hub. Mr Lim continued with his trip with a visit to Tbilisi (14 September), where he met the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia H.E. Mr. David Zalkaliani.
IMO´s work was widely covered during the Georgia International Maritime Forum. A panel about the partnership between IMO and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) was held and one of the key goals of the event was raising awareness of the World Maritime Day theme, "IMO 70: Our Heritage – Better shipping for a better future". Two IMO workshops addressing port emissions and IMO Liability and Compensation Conventions were also organized alongside the forum (10-12 September).