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The Cyprus Branch at the heart of the local shipping community

Posted on Friday, June 4, 2021

The Cyprus Shipping Minister has recently launched a consultation campaign to gather feedback on key maritime issues with the final aim to promote a wide collaboration around shaping the future of Shipping in Cyprus.

The Institute's Cyprus Branch Committee took the opportunity to respond to the Minister call to arms and met the Deputy Ministry of Shipping on Friday the 4th June 2021 in Limassol.

The Branch had a chance to present the Institute's recognised qualifications for professional development to the Deputy Minister who showed a general awareness and appreciation for our long standing institution.

ICS Cyprus Branch Visit to Shipping Ministry June 2021

In the photo standing from left to the right: Cyprus Branch Education officer Costas Silitziotis FICS, the Chairman Christina Christoforou FICS handing over the "Quality Ashore" book published by ICS about its glorious history, the Deputy Minister of Shipping Vassilios Demetriades and the Branch Treasurer Andreas Papachristophorou FICS.

 

The Branch offered to the Deputy Minister a copy of Quality Ashore and a formal letter by the International Chairman, Susan Oatway FICS, which was warmly welcomed and will be reviewed internally in the Ministry.

During the meeting it was discussed the importance of furthering the development of Cyprus Shipping through sound education and training programmes.

The Deputy Minister has asked the Cyprus Branch to prepare a "White paper".  The paper should contain the Institute proposal around how Cyprus can enhance its position offering services to the global shipping community.

Furthermore, the Deputy minister invited the Branch to help distributing among local professionals the Questionnaire prepared by the Deputy Shipping Ministry.

The survey of the Minister is focussed on the following four areas:

  1. Environmental Sustainability
  2. Digital Transformation
  3. Global Persisting Challengers: - Social issues - seafarers' living and working conditions, crew changes and seafarers' vaccination; - Piracy and armed robbery against ships.
  4. Issues pertaining to maritime transport activities of high local and regional interest such as coastal navigation, maritime pollution, maritime education.

The questionnaires have already been circulated locally among Branch members and the Branch is hoping to share them also internationally within the wider Institute network.

The Deputy Minister has asked the Branch to produce a consolidated report with answers to the questions of each for the above mentioned categories.

Furthermore, in an effort to promote the nautical tourism in Cyprus - something that the Ministry of Tourism and that of Shipping are jointly working on, the Branch asked whether incentives could be offered for ICS to hold their annual Controlling Council Meetings in Cyprus for few consecutive years.

The Deputy Minister liked the idea and said that the incentives could be made available if an agreement was reached with the Ministry of Tourism.

A lot of initiatives to look forward to in the coming months!

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