Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia's government welcomes the election of Arsenio Antonio Dominguez Velasco from the Republic of Panama as Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) for the period from January 1, 2024, to December 31, 2028.The election of the New Secretary General of the IMO was conducted at the 129th IMO Council meeting in London, the United Kingdom, on Tuesday (July 18). Director General of Sea Transportation of the Ministry of Transportation of Indonesia Arif Toha, who was the Indonesian delegate at the 129th IMO Council meeting, noted in a statement received in Jakarta, Wednesday, that the selection process for the Secretary General of IMO was tight and smooth and took place in four rounds. s many as 40 member countries of the IMO council gave their votes to six candidates for the secretary general's post out of which three candidates were left in the last round that was won by Arsenio from the Republic of Panama, with 21 votes out of a total of 40 votes. "With 21 votes, Mr Arsenio from Panama was elected as the IMO Secretary General starting on January 1, 2024. Thus, Mr Arsenio will replace the IMO Secretary General Mr Kitack Lim whose term of office will end on December 31, 2023," Toha noted. He said, with Arsenio elected as the IMO Secretary General, the Indonesian Government, as a member of the IMO Council, of course, is committed to continuing to provide full support to IMO to improve the safety and security of world shipping and protection of the maritime environment. "Indonesia warmly welcomes the election of Mr Arsenio from Panama. Apart from having a good close cooperation relationship in the sea transportation sector between Indonesia and Panama, Arsenio is also a figure, who has played an active role in the International Maritime Organization for a long time. We are sure that Arsenio will bring IMO to becoming better in the future," Toha noted.
Source: Antara News Agency