Cyprus to retain leading role in shipping

Cyprus will spare no effort to maintain a leading ships register of high quality and participate actively in all international fora where policy decisions on shipping are taken, Cyprus Minister of Communications and Works Haris Thrasou pledged, speaking at the fourth Digital Ship Conference, “Digital Ship Cyprus”.

The international two-day conference deals with information and communication technologies that relate to ships and shipping companies. Participants at the seminar reach nearly 200 and speakers are mainly employers of local shipping companies, members of the Cyprus Shipping Council.

In his address, Thrasou said government maritime policy is focused on maritime safety and security and the protection of the environment, where the flow of information is of vital importance for its effective implementation.

He said that during the past few years, Cyprus has adopted a series of measures to upgrade and modernize Cypriot shipping through a safety policy which focused on the effective control of the ships in the improvement of the quality of its fleet. Particular attention was also given to the qualifications of the seafarers employed on Cyprus ships as well as to their living and working conditions.

The ministry of communications, he said, attaches particular attention to maritime security and considerable effort is concentrated on the prevention of ships being used or targeted for terrorist activities.

Furthermore he noted that all ships under the Cyprus flag as well as all port facilities in Cyprus have been duly certified as complying with the requirements of the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS), which has been adopted and is effectively implemented.

Thrasou also said that the Department of Merchant Shipping has already invited tenders in order to proceed with the Vessel Traffic Monitoring Information System (VTMIS) installation and operation, which will have the full capability to monitor, process and provide information on the maritime traffic that enters the Middle East border of the EU, with positive effects for the whole region such as the reduction of accidents and of illegal immigrants’ traffic and the protection of the marine environment.

Second Vice President of the Cyprus Shipping Council Andreas Neophytou said that Cyprus, and in particular Limassol, remains one of the largest ship management centres globally.

“We are also proud that Cyprus remains a strong register, being the 10th largest globally and the 3rd in the European Union”, he added.

He noted that “a most welcome development in 2006 was the inclusion of Cyprus on the Paris MOU white list, something we would also like to see happening in the United States coastguard in 2007”.

Neophytou assured the government “that we will continue to provide our full support and cooperation in order for Cyprus to maintain its rightful position in the lead of successful international maritime centres.”

He noted that Digital Ship Cyprus has become an established annual event in the shipping calendar.

As regards the Shipping Council, he said it continued its growth in 2006 and today comprises 130 ship-owning, ship-management and shipping related companies places in Cyprus as well as abroad.

In terms of the number of ships and tonnage under the Council of Members control, the total number of ships owned, managed or operated by Council member companies amounted to more that 2,100 ocean going ships, having a total tonnage of approximately 42 million tons.