Officials from the Shipping Administration (Ukraine) participated in the Maritime Security Conference, held on 28 October 2026 in Dublin, Republic of Ireland, as part of the Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
The Conference was held, inter alia, to mark the adoption by the Government of Ireland of the updated National Maritime Security Strategy 2026-2030.
At the opening of the event, welcoming remarks were delivered by Ms. Helen McEntee, Ireland’s Minister for Defence and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ms. Jacqui McCrum, Secretary General of the Ministry of Defence of Ireland, as well as Dr. Alison Weston, Senior Coordinator for Maritime Security at the European External Action Service (EEAS).
The participants – representatives of naval forces, maritime administrations, European Commission and the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA), NATO, telecommunication companies, and the academic community – focused primarily on protection and security of submarine cables, the most vulnerable component of European critical maritime infrastructure, against the drawback of the Russian Federation’s aggressive foreign policy and its armed aggression against Ukraine.
Subsequently, the main proceedings of the Conference were organised within four panel discussion sessions (“Working together in the face of common threats”, “Sharing experiences”, “International law and the rules of engagement”, “Futureproofing European maritime security”), with expert presentations on specific aspects of the agenda also taking place in between them.
Delegates from the State Service for Maritime, Inland Waterway Transport and Shipping of Ukraine, in particular, took part in discussions on response scenarios to maritime hybrid operations, their connection to the “shadow fleet”, as well as importance of continuous operation of the special maritime corridor in the Black Sea for Europe’s stability and security.
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Ministry of Defence of Ireland for excellent organisation of the Conference and for facilitating the participation of the Ukrainian representatives.