“It is indeed a great honour to once again address the Maritime Cyprus Conference organised by the Shipping Deputy Ministry, in co-operation with the Cyprus Shipping Chamber and the Cyprus Union of Ship-owners.

This year marks a significant milestone as the 30th anniversary of the Maritime Conference.

In this regard, I feel obliged to praise the fact that the success that the conference enjoys throughout all these years is a testament of the recognition the Cyprus shipping industry enjoys among the international shipping community and the mutually beneficial partnerships we have established with global shipping stakeholders.

And taking into account the high calibre of the speakers and shipping executives of the international shipping industry that have joined this year’s Conference, I have no doubt that the conference will, once more, be highly successful and constructive for each and every one.
We are very proud of the achievements of Cyprus’ Shipping which has been firmly established as one of the most qualitative, modern and complete international shipping centres, ranking 11th worldwide and third in Europe in ship registries.

Moreover, as a third-party ship management centre, Cyprus is the largest in Europe and one of the leading ones globally.

At the same time, we have been effectively implementing the relevant internationally applicable safety, security and environmental protection standards, whilst ensuring that the national measures are continuously enhanced, thus providing a stable and friendly environment for shipping companies covering a large spectrum of activities and services.

Cyprus shipping has proven to be an invaluable asset for our economy and has proven catalytic particularly in recent years towards the steady recovery of our economy, acting not only as a gateway of foreign investments, but also as an export destination for ship management services.

In this regard, further consolidating and enhancing the competitiveness of our flag and maritime cluster remains one of the most important priorities of the government.

It is for this reason that in March 2018, the government established a Shipping Deputy Ministry in order to meet existing and future challenges arising from regional and geopolitical developments, through a well-structured and co-ordinated strategic plan.

Since the creation of the Shipping Deputy Ministry, a number of initiatives have been undertaken with the aim to tangibly improve Cyprus’ shipping administration. {…}”