Mr. Secretary General,

Excellencies,

Distinguished Colleagues,

Ladies and gentlemen,

It is a great pleasure for me to welcome you today on the occasion of presenting the candidacyof Ambassador Suat Hayri Aka to the post of Secretary-General.

I am glad that this is the first official reception that I am hosting as the new Turkish Ambassador in town and as the Turkish Permanent Representative to the IMO.

It is a busy period of the year and I thank you all for being here.

As a founding member of the IMO and an active member of its Council, Türkiye is committed to its values and goals.

With its location on important maritime transport routes with dense maritime traffic, Türkiye has vast experience and expertise in the maritime field.

We are a major flag, port, and coastal state.

As a seafaring nation, we also attach great importance to the role and work of our organization.

This is the background of Türkiye’s decision to present a strong candidate for the post of Secretary-General of the IMO.

Taking this opportunity, I would like to thank our current Secretary General for his hard work and able leadership during his long tenure.

Dear friends,

Shipping is vital for global trade and supply chains. We have all witnessed this during the pandemic.

While the IMO is playing an important role in improving the safety and security of international shipping, cooperation among the member states is key to its success.

We should work as one, like the crew members of a ship. In this journey, we also need a captain to lead us in reaching our common goals. A captain who has a vast knowledge of maritime sector and diplomacy.

We believe that Captain, and Ambassador, Suat Hayri Aka would be the right choice for this important mission. He has Türkiye’s full support.

I would now like to invite Ambassador Aka to present his vision.

Thank you.