Cyprus hosts ”Shipping before dawn” seminar

Cyprus Communications and Works Minister Nicos Nicolaides has said that as the financial crisis goes on, the shipping industry has to focus on quality, security and efficiency, investing in human resources and new technologies.

The Minister was addressing a seminar organized by Cyprus Shipping Chamber and the Baltic and International Maritime Council under the title ''Shipping before dawn''. On his part, Chairman of Cyprus Shipping Chamber Captain Eugen Adami underlined that the ongoing illegal Turkish embargo on ships bearing the Cypriot flag affects not only the Cypriot shipping interests but also the EU shipping interests.

Nicolaides said that the international shipping industry is certainly at a crucial point, as a result of the financial crisis and the question that comes up is whether shipping is before dawn

“We all hope that we are close to the end of the crisis and there will soon be better prospects and opportunities for shipping,” he added.

Nicolaides noted that maritime shipping must be well prepared to explore all existing prospects, adding that such conferences organized in Cyprus reaffirm the island’s position as one of the leading shipping centres of the world.

On his part, Adami said that Cyprus Shipping Chamber will continue its efforts in cooperation with the Cyprus government and the EU, so that Turkey will lift the illegal embargo the soonest in favour of the European shipping interests.

He also noted that the Cypriot shipping industry which is the 3rd largest in Europe and the 10th largest in the worlds, aims to increase its power and attract more shipping enterprises through tax incentives that will be given by the new tax system for the shipping industry.