Anniversary Dinner of the Shipping Deputy Ministry on the 60th Anniversary of the establishment of the Registry of Cyprus Ships (19/12/2023)

Anniversary Dinner of the Shipping Deputy Ministry on the 60th Anniversary of the establishment of the Registry of Cyprus Ships

An official dinner to mark the 60th anniversary from the establishment of the Registry of Cyprus Ships was hosted on Tuesday 18 December 2023, by the Shipping Deputy Ministry, in the presence of the President of the Republic Nikos Christodoulides and the shipping industry.

The Shipping Deputy Minister, Ms. Marina Hadjimanolis, welcomed the attendees and referred to the 60 years of continuous efforts, planning and decisions, and as she said "difficult journeys, with unpredictable and complex challenges, with the sole goal of always consolidating the prominent role of the Republic of Cyprus, through a strong sector".

Ms. Hadjimanolis referred to the key milestones that determined the evolutionary course of Cyprus shipping, which include, the establishment of the Department of Merchant Shipping in 1977, the election of Cyprus to the Council of the International Maritime Organization in 1987 and its recent re-election, the accession of Cyprus to the European Union in 2004, which led to the updating of the maritime legislation, harmonization with the European acquis and the adoption of an attractive tax system for shipping, and the establishment of the Shipping Deputy Ministry in March 2018.

The Shipping Deputy Minister emphasized that, "It would be an omission not to mention the political will of all Governments to strongly support Cyprus shipping and of course, the fact that Cyprus shipping remains outside of any political controversies, an important aspect that I feel obliged to underline, confirming that collectively we can achieve a lot."

The Shipping Deputy Minister concluded by referring to the most valuable and strongest component of Cyprus shipping which, as she said, "is its people, you, the professionals of the sector, its protagonists and ambassadors. On this 60-year journey, we remember and honour all those people who have paved the way and contributed in any way to the establishment of the Registry of Cyprus Ships." Ms. Hadjimanolis expressed special thanks to the close and long-standing collaborators of the Shipping Deputy Ministry throughout these years, the Cyprus Union of Shipowners and the Cyprus Shipping Chamber, who, she said, "stand beside us to assist us in our efforts to further strengthen and continuously improve the maritime cluster".

In his own address, the President of the Republic stressed that shipping is one of the most important pillars that have over time contributed substantially in the development of our country's economy and that the domestic shipping industry is stronger today than ever before, demonstrating in practice his confidence in the Registry of Cyprus Ships, the maritime sector and the economy of Cyprus in general. "Attracting foreign investments to our island through shipping", he said, "is a primary objective for the State and it is precisely in this context that we support in practice every initiative in this direction".

Mr. Christodoulides stressed the importance, that both he personally and the Government attaches to shipping and assured that this support will not only continue, but the intention is to strengthen it with specific actions as a result of the ongoing dialogue with the shipping community.

In conclusion, the President of the Republic congratulated all those who have worked over the years and continue to work until today so that Cyprus shipping enjoys this prominent position on the global shipping map. "The achievements of the past 60 years are the starting point for our future successes. Successes, the achievement of which is for the State and for all of you, a bet that we will win."

The addresses were followed by a historical and touching reminiscence of the 60 years of the Registry of Cyprus Ships, with the participation of musicians, actors and children from the children's choir of Agios Tychonas.

On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Registry of Cyprus Ships, a commemorative Album recounting the course of Cyprus shipping was published which was dedicated to its visionaries and pioneers.