The Shipping Deputy Minister, Ms. Marina Hadjimanolis, participated at the European Summit held during CLIA Cruise Week organised by the Cruise Lines International Association , in Genoa, Italy, between 12-14 March 2024. Ms. Hadjimanolis participated in the panel on the decarbonization of the cruise industry, during which she informed about Cyprus’s actions and activities in this direction, while she noted Cyprus’s strong support for the efforts made by the cruise industry to comply with the new requirements that have been set. The Shipping Deputy Minister also participated in the panel “Women at the Helm- a success story of the Cruise sector”, which was held on 14 March 2024, which focused on employment opportunities for women in the cruise industry, setting out the relevant framework of actions of the Shipping Deputy Ministry.

Within the framework of the Summit, Ms. Hadjimanolis held a joint meeting on March 12, with the Executive Directors of the Royal Caribbean Group, MSC Cruises, Carnival Corporation, Norwegian Cruise Line, Disney Cruise Line and Celestyal in the presence of the Executive Director of CLIA. At the meeting, the Shipping Deputy Minister presented Cyprus’s position as an EU maritime member state, while issues of concern to the companies were discussed, in particular how to align the cruise industry with the new EU environmental regulations.

On 13 March, the Shipping Deputy Minister held a meeting with the Italian Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, responsible for maritime transport issues. Mr. Edoardo Rixi raised issues concerning the competitiveness of the ports of the EU Member States, while Ms. Hadjimanolis presented Cyprus’s positions on the competitiveness of European shipping in general. Within this framework, it was agreed that cooperation between the two countries would be strengthened and to take joint initiatives to ensure a level playing field in the shipping sector.

On the occasion of the Shipping Deputy Minister’s visit in Genoa, an event was held during which the Ambassador of Cyprus in Italy, Mr. George Christofides, presented the credentials to the new Consul of Cyprus in Genoa, Mr. Filippo Fabri. The event was attended by members of the Italian shipping community, who had the opportunity to be informed by Ms. Hadjimanolis about the Cypriot shipping industry in general and the prospects of doing business in Cyprus. Furthermore, within the framework of other events held during the week, the Shipping Deputy Minister had the opportunity to hold discussions with the Governor of the Liguria region Mr. Giovanni Toti, as well as the Mayor of Genoa Mr. Marco Bucci.