Shipping and Aegean Minister Miltiadis Varvitsiotis received on Wednesday on behalf of the Hellenic Coast Guard from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation 10 high-speed inflatable boats, which will reinforce Greece’s fight against illegal migration from the sea borders.
“Our target is to keep the borders protected and, of course, to send the message to every direction, that Greece is an organised state,” noted Varvitsiotis.
Each one of the ten “System 33” inflatable boats is 10.35 meters long with a horsepower of 2X250 HP and conforms to special standards and safety requirements. The donation to the Greek State cost the Stavros Niarchos Foundation 1.0 million euros.
Apart from fighting illegal migration, the inflatable boats will be used in search and rescue operations, in fighting drug trafficking and smuggling, as well as in enforcing fishing regulations.
Varvitsiotis thanked the Niarchos Foundation for yet another generous donation, calling on anyone who can to support the multi-faceted and significant work of the Hellenic Coast Guard. He also thanked everyone serving in the Coast Guard for their tireless efforts to succeed in their mission.
(source: ana-mpa)
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