Category: Cyprus News Agency

Cyprus will be at the heart of the global shipping industry from 6-8 October, as it hosts the Maritime Cyprus 2025 International Conference in Limassol under the theme ‘Unlocking the Future.of Shipping.’

Presenting the conference at a press briefing, Shipping Deputy Minister Marina Hadjimanolis said the event comes at a crucial moment for the maritime sector, facing both challenges and opportunities. She stressed that the government is proud of a 36-year-old institution that has grown into one of the world’s leading shipping conferences.

‘This year, our aim was to enrich the conference further, both in terms of distinguished speakers and in the scope of topics, so that it fully reflects the modern challenges and opportunities of the industry,’ she said.

Hadjimanolis pointed out that shipping is a vital pillar of the Cypriot economy, requiring flexibility and innovation to remain competitive. She noted that government priorities include strengthening the Cyprus registry, attracting new ships and companies, simplifying procedures, enhancing safety and service quality, and embracing digital transformation. Investment in human capital, she added, is also key, through education and training of new seafarers and maritime professionals.

President of the Cyprus Union of Shipowners Polys Hajioannou, said the conference is expected to attract a strong presence of foreign shipowners, particularly from Greece. He noted that this year’s discussions coincide with the upcoming Marine Environment Protection Committee meeting at the IMO, with shipowners seeking clarity on future fuel rules that have created uncertainty across the industry.

Meanwhile, Cyprus Shipping Chamber President Andreas Neophytou welcomed the conference as one of the sector’s leading global gatherings. Since 1989, he said, Maritime Cyprus has become a world-renowned institution thanks to close cooperation between government, the shipping administration, and industry stakeholders. He highlighted that the event takes place as shipping grapples with major challenges, especially decarbonisation, which will reshape shipbuilding technologies, fuels, and operational practices.

According to Christiana Patsiou, Acting Director of the Shipping Cluster Development and Competitiveness Directorate, more than 900 delegates from 35 countries and over 40 speakers will take part. A Shipping Services Exhibition with more than 40 exhibitors from Cyprus and abroad will also run alongside the event.

In the opening ceremony on Monday, 6 October, President Nikos Christodoulides, will present the Cyprus Shipping Award. Attendees will include the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization, EU Commissioners, and leaders of major shipping associations such as ECSA and BIMCO, as well as foreign ministers.

President of the Republic Nikos Christodoulides has said that the UN Secretary General has demonstrated his political will by convening the trilateral meeting that took place last week in New York.

UNSG met with the two leaders President Christodoulides and T/c leader Ersin Tatar last week in New York city. A new meeting will probably take place in November. In the meantime, his personal envoy Maria Angela Holguin is expected in Cyprus the next weeks to prepare the new meeting.

In statements to the media in Limassol, before attending a meeting of the European Investment Bank, and replying to questions, the President stressed that taking into account the developments and the voting process for a new leader of the Turkish Cypriot community in the Turkish occupied territories of Cyprus (to take place in October) the meeting in New York could not have led to an outcome.

However, he noted that it is important that the UN Secretary General, “nevertheless, although he was aware of this fact, proceeded with the organisation of this meeting, demonstrating thus his political will, something that he mentioned in his introductory comments”.

President Christodoulides said that they expect that afterwards the UNSG’s Personal Envoy on Cyprus, Maria Angela Holguin, will visit Cyprus, as the UN Secretary General himself had told them.

“It was something that we also requested, and that she visit both the guarantor powers (Greece, Turkey, UK) and Brussels, so that the ground can be prepared for the meeting (informal meeting on broader format) before the end of the year, with the sole objective, to enter to the essence of the Cyprus problem, which is the resumption of talks”, he underlined.

Meanwhile, invited to comment on statements by Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar that the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, during their informal trilateral meeting in New York last week, had not said that the Cyprus talks would resume from the point where they had been interrupted in Crans-Montana, in 2017, the President of the Republic said that “I heard the statements of Mr. Tatar and all those on the Greek Cypriot side who consciously choose to believe Mr. Tatar and not the President of the Republic of Cyprus”.

Fortunately, he added, there were six people at the meeting. “I was not alone, I was accompanied by the Negotiator and the Permanent Representative”, he said.

Asked whether this should had been mentioned in the UN Secretary General’s press release, the President of the Republic said that it was a general announcement and reiterated that “we were not alone at the meeting and I am surprised, not by what Mr. Tatar says, because I did not expect him to say anything different, but by those on the Greek Cypriot side who choose to believe Mr. Tatar and not the President of the Republic of Cyprus. I repeat, it was a meeting in the presence of others.”

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.

The ninth Ocean State Report, published today by the Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service of the EU’s Earth Observation System, was presented by the European Commission, with Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans, Costas Kadis, underlining that “the data is the basis for action” and that “now we have the tools to transform observation into solutions”.

The report reveals the critical state of oceans, as every corner is now threatened by climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. The findings are alarming, confirming that ocean health is deteriorating at an unprecedented rate. Key observations include global sea temperatures reached a record high of 21°C, with devastating impacts on marine ecosystems.

Marine heatwaves in 2023 and 2024 saw ocean temperatures exceed previous records by over 0.25°C, threatening fisheries and coastal economies. Meanwhile, sea levels have risen by 228 millimeters since 1901, putting 200 million Europeans in coastal areas at risk, along with UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

During the 2023 Mediterranean heatwave, rising temperatures facilitated the spread of invasive species such as the Atlantic Blue Crab and Bearded Fireworm, pushing local fisheries to the brink of collapse. Additionally, Arctic sea ice recorded four consecutive all-time lows between December 2024 and March 2025, losing an area nearly twice the size of Portugal.

Commissioner Kadis, commenting on the report’s findings, stated: “The conclusions of the Ocean State Report reveal a difficult but essential diagnosis. The triple planetary crisis-climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution-is no longer a future threat but a present reality in our ocean basins.”

“This means we have taken the first necessary steps, as data is the foundation of effective action. In line with the Ocean Pact’s Ocean Observation Initiative, we are leveraging the power of the European Digital Twin of the Ocean-a cutting-edge tool built on marine data from Copernicus Marine and EMODnet-to transform data into predictability, allowing us to move from observation to solution,” Kadis added.

The Commissioner highlighted that “now we can simulate the spread of invasive species, forecast the impact of heatwaves on fish stocks, and test the effectiveness of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) before implementing them. These tools are crucial for a resilient and sustainable blue economy,” he added. “The ocean is sending us a clear signal; we are now better equipped to answer it,” Commissioner Kadis concluded.

On his behalf, Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius emphasized the importance of the Copernicus system as the world’s leading Earth observation tool, stating: “As an owner of Copernicus, the most unique Earth observation system, the Union is able to monitor the state of the Earth’s environment and its subsystems. The Copernicus infrastructure and services constitute a world-class capacity allowing the Union to have a leading role in observing and forecasting different ocean state parameters.”

Mr. Kubilius also highlighted that “the Commission is committed to the continuity and evolution of Copernicus, ensuring that Europe’s Earth observing capacity is all-encompassing, bringing together public and private actors and capacities alike. The space economy is all about unleashing the power of space systems and services to offer solutions in different policies and market sectors.”