In the context of the expansion of Cyprus' bilateral external relations with important maritime states with a view to mutually beneficial cooperation in the shipping sector as well as the holistic and joint response to the challenges facing the sector, the Deputy Minister of Shipping to the President, Mr. Vassilis Demetriades and the British High Commissioner to Cyprus, Mr. Irfan Siddiq, representing the UK Minister for Maritime Affairs, Baroness Charlotte Vere of Norbiton, signed today, at the Ministry of State, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
The signing of the MoU was preceded by a bilateral online meeting of a formal nature between the Minister of State for Shipping and his counterpart Baroness Charlotte Vere of Norbiton, during which issues of common interest reflected in the MoU were discussed.
The Memorandum of Understanding confirms the mutual willingness of the Secretary of State for Maritime Affairs and the British Ministry of Transport to further strengthen cooperation between them, while defining the framework for this cooperation both bilaterally and in the context of their joint participation in international organisations such as the International Maritime Organisation and the Commonwealth.
The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding with the United Kingdom is an important development that was seen as necessary especially after Brexit. Cyprus and the UK are two important maritime states with a huge wealth of expertise. "The Memorandum we signed today lays a solid foundation for the further expansion of bilateral cooperation between the two countries in all important aspects of shipping and to work together in the context of our participation in the International Maritime Organization to address the major challenges facing the sector," said Deputy Minister of Shipping Vassilis Demetriades.
The Memorandum includes, among others, the exchange of best practices, the organization of workshops and training seminars between the maritime administrations of the two countries, as well as the encouragement of cooperation between the shipping industry of both sides on maritime safety and security, carbonization of shipping, protection of the marine environment, further improvement of the working conditions of seafarers, promotion of research and innovation and the digital transformation of shipping, addressing the risks of maritime accidents and maritime disasters, and the promotion of maritime safety and security.
