Tsavliris Salvage Group held their 30th Christmas Cocktail Reception at the Royal Thames Yacht Club (RTYC) in London, on 12 December 2017.

With about 350 key players from all sectors of the shipping industry attending, the annual event has become a highlight of the Christmas calendar in London.

This year, Tsavliris were honoured with the presence of the British Minister of State for Transport, Legislation and Maritime, Mr John Hayes, and the Secretary General of the International Maritime Organisation, Mr Kitack Lim who both spoke pertinently about shipping and the salvage industry.

The event was attended "in full force", with the presence of many members of the Tsavliris family, including Mr George Tsavliris, Mr Andreas Tsavliris and members of the next generation.

Mr Andreas A. Tsavliris addressed the impressive gathering of guests, welcoming and thanking them for their kind support over the years. He stressed the importance of this year's reception, as it was the 30th anniversary in hosting this event at the prestigious RTYC.

Mr Tsavliris called to the podium the British Minister for Transport and Shipping, Mr John Hayes expressing the concerns of the maritime community about Brexit and asking for his support in order for the city of London to maintain its significance as a financial and shipping centre among the global maritime industry. Mr Hayes congratulated Tsavliris for their great contribution in the salvage industry and the environment for over half a century. He assured the audience that Brexit will not affect the city of London which will remain at the heart of the maritime world. He stressed the importance of collaboration and cooperation between countries and their respective governments for the protection of the seas and the environment and underlined the importance of technology for the new maritime challenges such as handling mega ships. He promised to help the country to regain the strength in its British flag. "We have a mission and a vision that Britain will continue to be a great maritime nation", he concluded.

The Secretary General of the International Maritime Organisation, Mr Kitack Lim, took the podium and congratulated Tsavliris Salvage for all the complicated salvage cases they carried out over the years. Mr Kitack Lim said that the salvage industry serves the IMO environmental objectives and will always be a key component of the maritime sector.