Conference on Cooperation on VTMIS and Maritime Surveillance in South Adriatic Area

Published date: 30.06.2020 13:30 | Author: Nexhat Kapidani

Print

On the day, June 23, 2020, the Ministry of Transport and Maritime Affairs of Montenegro is organized online conference “Cooperation on VTMIS and Maritime Surveillance in South Adriatic Area” as a realization part of the SAGOV project (South Adriatic Connectivity Governance). The SAGOV project for its aim has to achieve the transport connections between Albania, Montenegro and Italy. The European Commission supports it under the Interreg IPA CBC program, which involves those three countries. Beyond the Ministry of Transport and Maritime Affairs of the Government of Montenegro, the project has implemented by the Research Cooperation and Development Institute from Tirana, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy of the Government of Albania, the European Movement in Montenegro and the Puglia Region Coordination of International Policies from Italia. 

Representing the Ministry of Transport and Maritime Affairs, Ms Emina Mujevic, the General Director is charged for International relations and the EU funds, introduced the participants with the current situation in the transport sector and the progress made in the prior period. Among other things, she pointed out that they are still working on the implementation of projects from the Unified List of Priority Projects in the Transport Sector, and all that, with the aim of integration with the indicative expansion of the TEN-T corridor on the Western Balkans, in accordance with the Connection Agenda.

On behalf of the leading partner on the SAGOV project, the Research Cooperation and Development Institute (CDI), director Ardian Hackaj, introduced all the participants with the project, emphasizing on that way that SAGOV promotes integrated management and more efficient decision-making, concerning with cross-border infrastructure connectivity. At the project level, SAGOV provides innovative solutions and procedures that could be used by all stakeholders during decision-making, in the preparation of joint projects and their implementation in the rest of the EUSAIR region. The coordinator for the Puglia Region Coordination of International Policies Claudio Polignano, also addressed to the audience, highlighting the importance of the project at the level of the Interreg IPA CBC program, as well as the quality of the results, achieved so far.

In the first part of the conference, the representative of the European Commission – DG MOVE Jacob Terling, Edmunds Belinskis from the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) and Nedim Begović on behalf of the Permanent Secretariat of the Transport Community, were talking about success factors which are directly connected with the connection in the maritime transport. 

The second part of the conference was dedicated to the VTMIS system and the experiences of the region countries when it comes to marine surveillance and control. At this panel participated the representatives of the Croatian Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure Zdravko Siedel, the Slovenian Maritime Administration Captain Primož Bajec and Captain Vladimir Vladović, the Albanian General Maritime Directorate Tomor Harizi, the Italian Coastal Guard Marco Tomaino and Nexhat Kapidani as a representative of the Administration for Maritime Safety and Port Management of Montenegro.

Nexhat Kapidani presented on-going projects, as well as the plans for maritime traffic control in Montenegro. It is essential to mention that lecture of a colleague from the Italian Costal Guard, who in the front of conference participants, cited the high availability of the Montenegrin AIS system like the positive example, during the exchange data.

The third and final part of the conference was based on current events and institutional knowledge transfer, related to the VTMIS system and maritime surveillance.

About Sea Traffic Management - STM spoke Anders Johannesson from Swedish Maritime Administration. The Commander Joao Piedade from the National Maritime Authority of Portugal, presented the COMPASS2020 project, from H2020 project, which is implemented in cooperation with the NATO scientific research centre CMRE, where the Administration for Maritime Safety and Port Management participates as a partner.

On behalf of the Hellenic Ministry of Citizen Protection Alkis Astyakopulos spoke about ANDROMEDA project, from the H2020, in which the Administration for Maritime Safety and Port Management is also a partner.

A representative from the private sector, a Technical Director of the Italian company the ELMAN srl. Mr. Pierluigi Fiori, which implemented this system for the need of the EMSA, spoke about the MARE∑ system.

After a dynamic discussion on systems for maritime surveillance and the sea protection, initiated by the participants of it, the conference came to an end. It was concluded that the knowledge and experience presented by experts from the region and Europe, as well as representatives of international organizations dealing with maritime transport, will significantly facilitate the work on future projects. On behalf of the Ministry of Transport and Maritime Affairs of Montenegro, but also his behalf, the conference moderator and project manager, Đorđije Otašević thanked for participation, wishing them even better cooperation at this field.