Same course for Athens and Nicosia
Greece’s Maritime Affairs Minister Christos Stylianides and Cyprus’ Shipping Deputy Minister Marina Hadjimanolis met with delegations from their respective ministries in Limassol to discuss bilateral maritime issues.
Stylianides emphasized the great importance of Cyprus and Greece in maintaining the competitiveness of European shipping. He highlighted the need for European shipping to adopt realistic approaches to the green transition and align European and International Maritime Organization policies.
Moreover, he stressed the importance of addressing future seafarer shortages and enhancing the prestige of the maritime profession to attract more youth, with Greece having declared 2024 as the year of maritime education.
On Athens’ support for the ferry link between Greece and Cyprus, Stylianides noted the difficulty in overcoming European Commission issues but emphasized the importance of Nicosia’s continued support to ensure the project’s viability.
Hadjimanolis described the meeting as productive, stressing that shipping is a crucial economic pillar for both countries, and highlighted the need for coordination and synergies within the EU and IMO framework on sustainability.
