Great Talks, Strong Ties, and Smooth Sailing at Lake Balaton
This year, the combined IST and ST Meeting was hosted by the Hungarian NMCC and took place from the 20th to the 23rd April 2026 at the Hungarian Defence Forces Recreation, Training and Conference Centre by the picturesque shores of Lake Balaton in Hungary.
A total of 35 participants from 16 countries attended the final day of the conference dedicated to sea transport, and the friendly atmosphere and beautiful setting of the conference centre provided an ideal context for both formal discussions and informal conversations over coffee and lunch.
To begin with, the MCCE Sea Transport Cell would like to thank our Hungarian hosts for putting together a truly smooth and well-organised meeting. Everything – from the initial VTC-meetings to the final bus transfer from Balaton to Budapest Airport – worked perfectly. It has been a real pleasure working with the Hungarian NMCC, and the cooperation throughout both the planning and execution of the meeting has been excellent. Thank you!
The third and final day of the meeting was dedicated to presentations and discussions on sea transport. Compared to previous meetings, this one was slightly shortened by half a day. Instead of the usual three full days, this spring’s meeting was planned as a 2.5-day conference, based on feedback from earlier meetings.
This shorter format resulted in a more focused programme, with emphasis on national presentations, cooperation between member nations, contract types, and a presentation of the Netherlands’ future cargo ships. The meeting concluded with an update from the MCCE Sea Transport Cell on the current status of requests and matches, as well as information about the upcoming Manager Maritime Transport Operations Course, which will take place over two weeks in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, later this year.
The very last item on the programme was to thank Stefan Joon from Sweden, who attended his last ST meeting. It is a long-standing tradition at the sea transport meetings that participants who have contributed for many years receive a ship’s bell as a farewell gift at their final meeting. The bells are funded collectively by all participants as a token of appreciation. From the Sealift Cell, we would like to thank Stefan Joon for his dedication to sea transport and his valuable contribution to the sealift community. Wishing you fair winds and following seas, Stefan.
A big part of what makes these meetings so enjoyable is the strong sense of community. Many people know each other well, with some having attended as many as 25 times. This helps create an open and relaxed atmosphere where it’s easy to talk and exchange ideas.
The next opportunity for these familiar faces to catch up – and hopefully welcome a few new ones as well – will be at the autumn IST/ST meeting, taking place in Bucharest, Romania, from the 14th to the 17th of September 2026.
