Shipping Deputy Minister Marina Hadjimanolis carried out a working visit to Athens and Alexandria between February 4 and 9, as part of broader efforts to bolster the island’s maritime diplomacy in the region.

According to a statement from the ministry released on Monday, the visit combined policy dialogue on decarbonisation with regional cooperation meetings ahead of the island’s EU Council Presidency priorities.

In Athens, Hadjimanolis took part in the 16th Capital Link Greek Shipping Forum, joining a ministerial round table alongside Greece’s shipping minister Vasilis Kikilias, Malta’s transport minister Chris Bonett and US deputy assistant secretary of transportation Marco Sylvester.

On the sidelines, the ministers also met separately, where they discussed sector concerns and current developments surrounding shipping decarbonisation.

Meanwhile, during her stay in the Greek capital she addressed the graduation ceremony of the Mediterranean Maritime Academy.

She congratulated the new masters and engineers and referred to their “important and meaningful choice” to pursue a maritime career at a time of global seafarer shortages.

CFA Society Cyprus is focusing on professional development, ethics and outreach in 2026, according to Constantinos Kourouyiannis, CFA, President of CFA Society Cyprus, who outlined the organisation’s priorities for the year.

Kourouyiannis said the society “is guided by a clear vision: to advance the investment profession in Cyprus and empower its members to achieve their career objectives”.

He added that “this vision is brought to life through the dedication and collaboration of our board of directors, staff and volunteers,” explaining that their commitment remains essential in meeting these objectives.

He further noted that the strategic plan for 2026 is “to drive initiatives that promote professional development, ethical standards, community engagement and thought leadership across the financial sector”.

He then turned to the wider industry, saying “we navigate a period of significant transformation in the financial industry, driven by artificial intelligence, digitalization, evolving regulation and rising expectations around ethics and sustainability”.

Cyprus’ cooperation between government and business was cited by BusinessEurope as supporting the country’s economic performance, according to Employers and Industrialists Federation (Oev) president George Pantelides.

Pantelides, who serves as vice-president of the European employers’ confederation, took part on February 5 in a working dinner with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen alongside the organisation’s leadership.

The talks focused on strengthening the competitiveness of European companies, while business representatives warned that without tangible results during 2026 the EU economy risks losing further ground.

They urged a shift from political declarations to implementation, ‘From Ambition to Delivery’, a priority repeatedly raised by European industry.

BusinessEurope set out five policy priorities for 2026. It called for deeper integration of the single market and a sharp reduction in regulatory burdens to remove barriers to cross-border activity.

Cyprus-based digital businesses face rising exposure to DDoS attacks, according to a new cybersecurity report by Qrator Labs.

The report highlighted the fact that fintech, e-commerce, IT and media emerged as the most targeted sectors globally during 2025, 

The annual analysis shows that nearly three quarters of all DDoS attacks in 2025 were concentrated in four digitally dependent industries.

FinTech accounted for 26.6 per cent of attacks, followed by e-commerce at 21.3 per cent, information and communication technology at 13.4 per cent, and media at 11.6 per cent.

Cyprus-based Columbia Group appointed Christina Orfanidou as Head of AI, as the company moves to embed responsible, people-centric artificial intelligence across its maritime operations.

According to the statement, she will lead the group’s AI strategy and implementation, focusing on practical, business-owned solutions that deliver measurable value.

At the same time, her mandate includes driving productivity gains, modernising workflows, and ensuring AI is deployed ethically, transparently, and in compliance with evolving global regulations.

Before joining Columbia group, Orfanidou worked as Head of AI Services at Deloitte Cyprus.

She has also contributed to major initiatives for the European Commission, collaborating with agencies such as ACER, DG CONNECT, and EFSA, where she led projects focused on AI adoption supported by robust data and AI governance.

Beer deliveries in Cyprus increased at the start of 2026, according to figures released by the state statistical service (Cystat).

Total deliveries reached 1,881,310 litres in January 2026, marking a 3.1 per cent increase compared with 1,825,054 litres in January 2025.

Nearly all volumes were absorbed locally, with around 98 per cent directed to the domestic market, while only 32,979 litres were exported.

The landscape of bilateral trade has shifted as Cyprus and India move toward a more structured era of economic cooperation, following a high-profile summit in Mumbai that engaged over 450 industry leaders.

This gathering served as a catalyst for translating diplomatic goodwill into concrete commercial ventures across the technology, shipping, and financial sectors.

According to InBusiness, the event underscored a burgeoning appetite among Indian investors to utilise the island as a strategic gateway into the European Union.

Speaking to the Cypriot business outlet, industry experts noted that the event moved beyond theoretical discussions, focusing instead on practical applications for cross-border trade and investment.

Chrysilios Pelekanos of PwC Cyprus highlighted that the Indian business community now views Cyprus as a safe, attractive, and complementary destination for expansion into the European Union.

Cyprus closed 2025 with a wider trade deficit, as a sharp rise in exports in December failed to offset a notable drop in imports over the same month, according to foreign trade figures released on Monday.

Specifically, the Cyprus Statistical Service (Cystat) reported that the total imports of goods in December 2025 stood at €1.20 billion, compared with €1.39 billion in December 2024, recording a decrease of 13.1 per cent.

Imports from other EU member states amounted to €789.30 million, while imports from third countries reached €415.10 million, compared with €703.40 million and €682.70 million respectively a year earlier.

Imports in December 2025 included the transfer of economic ownership of vessels valued at €218.30m, down from €337.40m in December 2024.

Total exports of goods in December 2025 rose to €490.50m, from €375.95m in December 2024, marking an increase of 30.5 per cent.