According to the Cypriot Transport Minister, Marios Demetriades, the new under-secretariat for maritime affairs is planned to be located in Limassol, as the majority of the shipping companies are based there.
Furthermore, the under-secretariat is set to be launched next March and will be based in Limassol, as the city is becoming one of the most important maritime centres of the world, Mr. Demetriades said.
Additionally the cabinet will donate €70,000 to the University of Cyprus, for the creation of a Marine Sciences School in Larnaca.
This decision comes in a time when the Cypriot Transport Minister declared that the shipping industry is a top priority for the government of Cyprus.
As Marios Demetriades said, Cyprus is ranked amongst the leading ship registries globally. In order for the country to live up to its expectations it must adapt to the new developments that are occurring, especially given the area’s geopolitical alternations. In order for that to happen, Marios Demetriades suggested Cyprus to take advantage of the the discovery of hydrocarbons places near Cyprus, something that can make Cyprus an important Energy Centre in the Mediterranean.
Moreover, he noted that the government of Cyprus aims to develop the country’s role in world shipping and provide the necessary means to enhance Cyprus’s shipping sector.
In order for that to happen Cyprus aims to create an LNG bunkering station. A project that can potentially increase the transhipment and the number of vessels approaching Cyprus ports and terminals, Marios Demetriades noted.
