On Sunday, the Commissioner will meet with the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, in Nicosia. They will discuss the government’s priorities, as well as solutions to the transport and tourism challenges faced by Cyprus. Commissioner Tzitzikostas will also visit a Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) project with the Cypriot Minister of Transport, Alexis Vafeades.
The Commissioner will, among others, have an exchange of views with the IMO Secretary-General, Arsenio Dominguez, and the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Kostas Koumis. He will also meet with Annita Demetriou, President of the House of Representatives. During his meetings with the Cypriot authorities, the Commissioner will discuss important issues of European interest, which will be on the agenda when Cyprus assumes the Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2026.
On Monday, Commissioner Tzitzikostas will speak at the Cyprus Maritime Forum taking place in Limassol. The conference brings together more than 1,000 participants, including shipowners, shipping executives, regulatory authorities, and government officials from around the world.
As mentioned during a press conference by the Deputy Minister of Shipping, Marina Hatzimanoli, from October 6th to 8th, Cyprus will be at the center of the shipping industry.
This year’s conference, with the central theme “Unlocking the Future…of Shipping”, will take place during a period of challenges but also opportunities for shipping.
Ms. Hatzimanoli noted that shipping is one of the most important pillars of development for the Cypriot economy and that it requires flexibility “so that we can adapt quickly to new data and maintain our competitiveness”.
“Our goal, and this is a priority of the Government, is the further strengthening of the Cypriot registry and the shipping cluster in Cyprus,” the Deputy Minister noted, adding that “this is pursued through targeted policies for attracting new ships to the Cypriot registry and the establishment of new companies in Cyprus, the simplification of procedures, the enhancement of safety on Cypriot ships, the quality of services provided, as well as the utilization of innovation and digital transformation”.
For his part, the President of the Cyprus Shipowners Association, Polys Hajioannou, stated that Maritime Cyprus 2025 is expected to attract a large number of foreign participants and especially shipowners from Greece “who consistently support the Cypriot registry”.
“They are very interested in the conference, because they consistently find a platform to express their views and this year I see them coming quite fired up, because it coincides, one week later, with the meeting of the Marine Environment Protection Committee, of the International Maritime Organization,” he said and explained that shipowners are forced to change their ship orders, as the landscape for the type of fuels is not clear “and the entire shipping community is confused about what applies”.
Thanking the Deputy Ministry of Shipping and its staff for the zeal they demonstrate for the organization of the Conference, Mr. Hajioannou noted that it is important “for our flag to fly higher, as it is the international identity of Cyprus, it is the recognizability, the certification that the Republic of Cyprus is the state of this island and it gives us an international recognition, which few other activities can highlight the strength we have”.
During the inaugural ceremony of the conference, on the morning of Monday, October 6th, the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, will present the Cyprus Shipping Award.
