Adopting coherent maritime strategy for G20 nations can have huge economic significance, says Bjorn Hojgaard
Anglo-Eastern Shipping's CEO Bjorn Hojgaard on Saturday said that a coherent maritime strategy among the G20 nations can have huge economic significance.
He also stressed on the need for streamlining collectively the visa procedures for bonafide seafarers by the G20 member countries.
India is currently hosting the G20 leaders' Summit in New Delhi.
G20 nations account for around 45 per cent of the world's coastline and 21 per cent of the world's Exclusive Economic Zones, according to Hojgaard.
«A coherent maritime strategy is absolutely necessary among G20 nations as almost all of them are coastal States and rely heavily on ocean-related business activities for livelihoods and economic growth,» PTI quoted Hojgaard as saying in a statement.
Significantly, Anglo-Eastern is one of the largest employers of Indian seafarers in the world.
Noting that seafarers are the «unsung heroes» of global trade, ensuring that goods move efficiently across the world's oceans, he observed that, «the bureaucratic hurdles they face in obtaining visas to reach different G20 ports are a significant obstacle.»
«G20 nations should collectively work towards a unified approach to streamline visa procedures for bonafide seafarers,» he said, and added that a harmonized visa strategy could include mutual recognition of the seafarers' visas among G20 countries.
This would allow seafarers of G20 nationalities to transit through different G20 ports more seamlessly, he said.
Besides, it would also reduce the administrative burden on both seafarers and the authorities, making international maritime travel more efficient and economically viable, Hojgaard said.
The coherent G20 maritime strategy should also include a common G20 maritime policing infrastructure
