Deputy Shipping Minister Marina Hadjimanolis on Monday travelled to Szczecin, Poland, for a working visit.

While there, she will attend the informal council of ministers responsible for shipping, held under the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

According to the announcement, Hadjimanolis will also deliver a keynote address at the 11th International Maritime Congress, taking place on  May 15 and 16.  

The event, organised by the Maritime Congress Foundation—established by the Northern Chamber of Commerce in Szczecin and the Polish Steamship Company (Polsteam)—has become a key fixture in the European maritime calendar.

The congress will open on May 15 at the Polish Theatre, followed by thematic discussions the next day at the Radisson BLU Conference Centre.

Topics on the agenda include port access infrastructure, shipbuilding and offshore industries, inland waterways, and the integration of road and rail links within European corridors.

Sessions will also address renewable energy, ESG strategies, regulatory frameworks, digitisation and emerging technologies in the shipping sector.

A central feature of this year’s edition is the Informal Meeting of EU Ministers for Maritime Affairs, expected to focus on the competitiveness of European maritime companies and the development of a new EU Industrial Maritime Strategy.

Speakers include Sotiris Raptis, Secretary General of the European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA), Gesine Meißner, Coordinator for the European Maritime Space, and Isabelle Ryckbost, Secretary General of the European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO).  

Representatives from ports in Latvia, Finland and Poland are also expected to participate.

On the sidelines of the visit, Hadjimanolis is due to hold meetings with shipping companies operating in Poland, with the aim of promoting Cypriot shipping and encouraging new registrations under the Cyprus flag.