Press Releases

It gives me immense pleasure to welcome you all at the Cyprus Home for the inauguration of the PIO exhibition “The Maritime Tradition of Cyprus”. We are indeed grateful that you have taken time from your busy schedule to be with us this evening. We feel greatly honoured by your presence.

The history of shipping in Cyprus traces back hundreds of years. Its geographical position at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and Africa, the island’s rich copper mines and its forests, which provided an abundant source of timber for shipbuilding have historically favoured merchant shipping as an important industry for this island state. The maritime cultural heritage of Cyprus is well attested in both material culture and written sources, since antiquity.

Portolans and nautical guides of the 13^th and 14^th century provide indirect information on the commercial mobility of Cypriot harbours and notary documents reveal the associations between merchants and the maritime community. The integration of Cyprus in the Stato da Mar in 1489 consolidated its role both as a nautical base of the Venetian fleet and as a Venetian trade centre in the eastern Mediterranean.

The island’s shipbuilding tradition took a firmer form after the Byzantine Empire as Cyprus was among the regions were the Ottomans maintained the existing Byzantine shipyards.

Following its independence in 1960, Cyprus was quick to recognise the political, economic and social importance of shipping and created the Department of Merchant Shipping in 1963, with the main harbour located in Ammochostos. In contrast to worldwide shipping practices, Cyprus drafted an open registry, meaning that both Cypriot Nationals and non-Cypriot Nationals could enrol in the same register and enjoy the same benefits. Success was rapid: in just ten years after the Register’s inception, 876 ships sailed under the Cypriot flag.

Despite the perils brought by the Turkish invasion in 1974, and especially the loss of the main port of Ammochostos, shipping continued its upward trend with the Cyprus Register recording 1487 ships by 1985.

Originally, the Cyprus government placed emphasis on ship owning and ship registering. However, the maritime industry quickly understood that this is just one of the branches of modern shipping. Thus, attention was given to all branches of modern shipping and especially chartering and ship management, which provided an opportunity to enhance further the island’s presence in the maritime world.

Today, Cyprus is one of the most prominent shipping hubs in Europe and home to some of the leading names of the global shipping industry. These companies employ more than 40.000 seafarers. It is estimated that approximately 5% of the world’s fleet and around 25% of global third-party ship management activities are controlled from Cyprus.

The long maritime tradition and the prominent position of Cyprus in the global maritime industry dictate that Cyprus should play a principal role in the formulation of the global maritime regulatory framework.

Cyprus, as a member of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and a member of the IMO Council, has consistently played a positive and constructive role in the Organization’s efforts to promote safe, secure, environmentally sound, efficient and sustainable shipping through cooperation.

To continue this constructive role Cyprus seeks re-election to the Council of the IMO in Category C. Thus, we would greatly appreciate your support for successful re-election.

As the Permanent Representative of Cyprus to the International Maritime Organization, I would like to ensure you that Cyprus will continue to work constructively with all the members of the Organization to achieve the highest practicable standards of maritime safety and security, efficiency of navigation and prevention and control of pollution from ships, with a view to support the member states in their implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Thank you.

(MG)