Minister Gemma Arias-Vasquez and a delegation of representatives from the Port Authority, Maritime Administration and local maritime industry recently represented Gibraltar at Posidonia 2026.

A statement from the Government follows below:

The delegation led by the Minister for the Port and Maritime Affairs, the Hon Gemma Arias-Vasquez, has recently returned from a very successful Posidonia 2026 in Athens, Greece, where Gibraltar was once again represented at one of the most important events in the international shipping calendar. 

The Gibraltar delegation included the Captain of the Port, John Ghio, together with representatives from the Gibraltar Maritime Administration and stakeholders from Gibraltar’s maritime, bunkering, shipping and legal sectors. 

The dedicated Gibraltar Maritime Services stand provided a strong platform from which to promote Gibraltar’s maritime offering, engage with existing partners and develop new commercial and institutional relationships. Throughout the week, the Gibraltar team held a busy programme of meetings and discussions with shipowners, operators, service providers and international maritime stakeholders. 

The visit demonstrated the strength of collaboration across Gibraltar Maritime Services, bringing together the Gibraltar Port Authority, the Gibraltar Maritime Administration and private sector partners under one clear and unified message - that Gibraltar remains a professional, competitive and forward-looking maritime jurisdiction. 

The Captain of the Port, John Ghio, represented the GPA on the Ship Energy panel entitled “Putting Ports on the Decarbonisation Map”, contributing to discussions on the role of ports in the energy transition and the practical pathways towards decarbonisation. 

Alongside the panel participation, the Gibraltar stand continued to welcome visitors and engage with international stakeholders from across the global maritime sector. The stand remained busy throughout the week, providing a valuable base for meetings, networking and the promotion of Gibraltar’s maritime services. 

The Gibraltar stand also welcomed the British Ambassador to Greece, His Majesty’s Ambassador Matthew Lodge, who was greeted by the Captain of the Port, John Ghio, and Gibraltar Maritime Services Director of Business Development, Aaron Lopez. 

The visit also provided an opportunity to showcase Gibraltar’s continued development as a Centre of Maritime Excellence, with particular emphasis on the Port’s strategic location and its reputation as a leading Mediterranean bunkering hub. 

Before returning to Gibraltar, Minister Arias-Vasquez hosted the Gibraltar Reception, which brought together key industry partners, sponsors and contacts from across the international maritime community. The event was very well attended and provided a valuable opportunity to strengthen relationships and promote Gibraltar’s maritime sector in a more informal setting. 

Minister Arias-Vasquez, the Captain of the Port, John Ghio, and GMS Director of Business Development, Aaron Lopez, also attended a reception at the Hellenic Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy, hosted by the Greek Minister for Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy, Vasilis Kikilias. 

The Captain of the Port, John Ghio, also attended a reception hosted by the British Embassy in Athens, providing a further opportunity to engage with UK representatives and international maritime stakeholders during Posidonia week. 

The Captain of the Port, John Ghio, said: 

“Posidonia has once again proved to be an extremely valuable event for Gibraltar. The Gibraltar Maritime Services stand was busy throughout the week and the feedback we received from industry partners was very positive. 

“Our presence in Athens allows us to engage directly with the global shipping community and to demonstrate, in a very practical way, the strength of Gibraltar’s maritime proposition. 

“I was also pleased to represent the Gibraltar Port Authority, and GMS more broadly, at the Ship Energy panel on decarbonisation. Ports have an important role to play in the energy transition, and Gibraltar is committed to being part of that discussion in a practical, responsible and commercially realistic way. 

The Minister with responsibility for the Port and Maritime Services, the Hon Gemma Arias-Vasquez, said: 

“I have returned from Posidonia with even greater confidence in Gibraltar’s maritime sector and in the opportunities that lie ahead. Gibraltar’s maritime industry is one of the pillars of our economy, and Posidonia gave us an important opportunity to promote our Port, our Maritime Services and our local operators directly to the global shipping industry. 

“I was particularly pleased to see the strength of the Gibraltar delegation and the collaboration between Gibraltar Maritime Services and our private sector partners. I want to thank the team at the Gibraltar Port Authority for organising the visit, and all the sponsors who contributed to Gibraltar’s stand. This was an excellent example of public and private sector partnership working together to promote Gibraltar internationally.”