The Danish government has parliamentary backing for Denmark to take part in a potential military operation in the Strait of Hormuz once hostilities cease. Denmark has approved a potential military contribution to secure shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Danish Shipping, the trade and employers’ organisation for Denmark’s shipping industry, gave its full support to this decision.
It is unclear what the Danish contribution might consist of, according to Danish Shipping, citing government officials, but the industry group said there is an obvious need for action to protect seafarers and civilian shipping in the area.
Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs Lars Løkke Rasmussen and acting Minister of Defence Troels Lund Poulsen have announced, following a meeting of the Foreign Policy Committee, that there is political support in the Danish Parliament for Denmark to declare its readiness to provide a military contribution to a potential operation in the Strait of Hormuz.
“The war between the USA, Israel and Iran has shown very clearly that it has enormous negative consequences for security of supply and the global economy when important waterways are blocked. There is a very obvious need for action to protect seafarers and civilian shipping in the area, just as has unfortunately also been the case in the Red Sea for several years now,” said Anne H. Steffensen, CEO of Danish Shipping.
After the meeting of the Foreign Policy Committee, neither Lars Løkke Rasmussen nor Troels Lund Poulsen would specify what a contribution might consist of.
“As one of the world’s largest maritime nations, we have a clear interest in, and responsibility for, contributing to security at sea. I therefore very much welcome the government’s proposal that Denmark should, in principle, be ready to be part of an international coalition to improve the security situation in the area,” added Anne H. Steffensen.
The initiative is a French-British one, which a number of countries – and now also Denmark – have declared themselves ready to support.
A Danish military contribution would have to be approved by the Danish Parliament before it could be activated.
Greek shipping minister about crisis continuing into June: “I cannot make a prediction”
Greek minister of maritime affairs and insular policy Vasilis Kikilias referring to the possibility of the crisis continuing into June, he clarified that “I cannot make a prediction,” underlining that the government and the ministry are monitoring developments day by day. “Getting involved in such a war scenario, in a time of global instability, is relatively easy. Disengaging seems to be much more difficult,” he said, underlining the geostrategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz.
“The global economy and trade move 80-90% by sea,” he noted, explaining that any disruption to the energy or commodity chain has enormous impacts on societies.
More specifically, regarding the impact on coastal shipping, Mr. Kikilias recalled that last year, after the intervention of the ministry and the government, port fees were reduced by 50% in all ports of the country, as a result of which the prices of coastal shipping tickets were contained, while through competition there were discounts of up to 32% on tickets, cars and cabins. As he said, “this year the equation is more difficult, as every 10 dollar increase in the price of oil is equivalent to a 10 million euro charge on coastal shipping fuel prices.”
He recalled, however, that the government has already allocated 57 million euros to support coastal shipping, an amount that was legislated and is distributed to coastal shipping companies based on expenses and fuel costs.
