Opening speech by the Norwegian host First Secretary Knut-Are Okstad
Nordic citizens is the third biggest tourist group after Great Britain and Germany in Greece. The 2010 Nordic contingency seminar, which was hosted by Norway and in Rhodes, gathered more than 80 representatives from regional authorities, Nordic Embassies, Consulates and the tourist sector. All engaged in how to deal with the great number of Nordic tourists in case of an emergency.
Prepared for the worst to happen
– Even though we find Greece to be one of the most secure summer destinations for our Norwegian citizens, the potential for a natural disaster or a major incident is always imminent, says Knut-Are Okstad at the Norwegian Embassy.
He mentions earthquakes, forest fires or major accidents within the transport sector as main concerns.
– Learning more about the way the Greek authorities work, and finding out how the Nordic embassies, tour operators and Greek authorities may work jointly in case of an emergency is vital in being able to plan for what we hope will never happen. At the same time we realize that our Nordic citizens expect a lot from their local embassies during time of crisis. Planning is therefore an essential part of our public relation management.
Participants discussing different scenarios that may hit the Island of Rhodes.
Airport fire and earthquake hit Rhodes the same day!
During the second part of the seminar, key actors such as Greek police, fire fighters, airport authorities and Consuls were asked to discuss in front of the audience; how they would evacuate the Airport in case of fire. Later the crisis escalated and Rhodes where “hit by an earthquake”.
Establishment of a Greek-Nordic emergency committee in Rhodes
After the initiatives of the Danish Consul in Rhodes a permanent Greek-Nordic committee was established to ensure and further develop the cooperation between Greek and Nordic actors that will be involved in a major disaster.
– Hopefully this committee will prove helpful and be a model to other regions in Greece, says the Consul at the Danish Embassy Knud Jerne.
What can Nordic citizens expect?
The Nordic countries – Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden – have a long tradition of cooperation in consular affairs. Already in 2004 the Nordic embassies in Athens signed a common contingency plan, thus establishing a framework for further cooperation in consular affairs.
The contingency plan ensures a coordinated response to crisis or accidents on Greek territory involving citizens from two or more of the Nordic countries. The contingency plan will ensure mutual support, create unification of resources, contacts and command with the purpose of efficient use of all embassies’ resources.
Please click here to download the Nordic contingency plan. Please visit the ministry of Foreign Affair's landsider if you want to learn more about how the Embassy may help Norwegians abroad.