Cyprus and China have put maritime cooperation back at the centre of their bilateral agenda, with Shipping Deputy Minister Marina Hadjimanolis and China’s new ambassador Yang Yundong discussing seafarers, maritime education and coordination at the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) ahead of her planned visit to China.

During a courtesy meeting, Hadjimanolis and Yang reviewed areas of mutual maritime interest, including the longstanding agreement governing shipping relations between the two countries and the scope for closer cooperation in maritime education.

The wellbeing of seafarers was also discussed, an area Cyprus has placed increasingly high on its shipping agenda this year alongside training and the future maritime workforce.

The relationship has a formal framework stretching back more than three decades. Cyprus and China signed an Agreement on Maritime Transport on August 29, 1990, while a protocol amending the agreement was signed in December 2003 and later entered into force in 2005.

Attention also turned to the IMO, where the two sides exchanged views on continued cooperation. Cyprus has consistently backed multilateral decision-making through the IMO on issues ranging from safety and security to environmental protection and decarbonisation.

Hadjimanolis meanwhile briefed Yang on her forthcoming visit to China, with the trip expected to provide another opportunity to continue discussions on bilateral maritime cooperation.

Yang is relatively new to the post, having arrived in Cyprus at the beginning of July and presented his credentials to President Nikos Christodoulides on July 8.

His meeting with Hadjimanolis comes as he continues a series of contacts with government officials and institutions following his appointment, while shipping remains one of the more established areas of practical cooperation between Cyprus and China.