According to Cyprus’s President, Nicos Anastasiades, the EU needs to ensure that its Russia sanctions do not negatively impact the bloc or individual member states.
Talking about the EU sanctions against Russia, Mr. Anastasiades explained that the Cyprus government was making every effort to minimise the negative effects that the sanctions have on the shipping sector, in order to “maintain to the maximum extent possible the competitiveness of European shipping and, by extension, the Cypriot and Greek flags”.
In all my contacts with EU Heads of State or Government, as well as in the context of the work of the European Council, I have repeatedly highlighted the basic principle and philosophy that must govern sanctions, so that they are targeted against the one against whom they are directed and not against member states
As he further noted “if we were to listen to the Brussels bureaucrats, the first to pay the cost will certainly not be Russia and its energy exports but the merchant shipping sectors of Greece, Cyprus and possibly Malta.”
In fact, the Cypriot President highlighted that bureaucrats do not understand the simple concept that a ship can change its flag “and therefore those who will be damaged are not the Russians who will continue to export, but the European countries”.
In the rest of his statement, Mr. Anastasiades outlined the government’s strategic vision in the field of shipping, stressing that the principal goal was the creation of strong foundations for Cypriot shipping in order to tackle future crises and to leverage emerging opportunities.
