Support for shipping will continue, no change in policy, says Anastasiades

President Nicos Anastasiades said Cyprus will continue to support the shipping sector, regardless who is in government.

“No matter who is president, the established policy cannot be changed, which says that the right handling gives the right benefits,” said Anastasiades in his address at a dinner in honour of the participants of the “Maritime Cyprus 2022” Conference at the Presidential Palace on Friday.

Anastasiades noted that this year’s conference theme “Crises – Challenges – Competitiveness” highlights three interrelated key issues that the international shipping industry is called upon to address, especially due to the ongoing war in Ukraine and the consequent sanctions against Russia.

He did not fail to mention the international prestige and recognition that the conference has gained since 1989, addressing important and topical issues.

He went on to say that he shared the concerns expressed by the president of the Cyprus Shipowners’ Association at the annual general assembly in Athens two weeks ago, noting that from the outset the objective was, in cooperation with other European maritime states that share the same concerns “to make representations to our European counterparts to make them realise that sanctions should be targeted, so that they hit the target, and not as a result of misguided decisions to damage the interests of European states”.

In conclusion, he assured that support for shipping will continue to be given, by listening to the challenges that need to be addressed, for the benefit of both shipping and especially Cyprus.