Athens: Deputy Minister of Shipping Marina Hadjimanolis has completed a series of working visits to Athens and Alexandria, where she engaged with ministers and participated in key conferences.
According to Cyprus News Agency, in Athens, Hadjimanolis took part in the 16th Annual Capital Link Greek Shipping Forum. She joined a high-level ministerial roundtable discussion alongside Vassilis Kikilias, Greece's Minister of Shipping and Insular Policy, Chris Bonett, Malta's Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Public Works, and Marco M. Sylvester, the US Deputy Secretary of State for Transportation. On the sidelines of the forum, she held discussions with these ministers, focusing on pressing issues in the shipping industry, particularly the decarbonization of shipping.
Additionally, during her Athens visit, Hadjimanolis delivered a speech at the 2nd graduation ceremony of the Mediterranean Maritime Academy. She then traveled to Alexandria, Egypt, as an honorary guest of the country's Minister of Transport, where she served as a keynote speaker at the 15th International Maritime Transport and Logistics Conference (MARLOG-15).
"The Deputy Minister of Shipping was the only representative from a member state of the European Union, which underlines the close Cyprus-Egypt relationship and the active role of the Republic of Cyprus in the wider region," the press release emphasizes. In her address, Hadjimanolis highlighted the importance of the human factor in the green and digital transition of shipping, emphasizing the crucial role of seafarers. She advocated for increased investment in training and skills development, noting that seafarers are a key focus of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU in maritime transport.
She also mentioned that the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU aims to act as a strategic bridge of cooperation between the European Union and regional countries, fostering strategic partnerships. During the conference, Hadjimanolis inaugurated the international maritime exhibition MarTech 2026 and held a bilateral meeting with Egypt's Minister of Transport, Lt. Gen. Kamel Abdel Hady Al-Wazir. They discussed the progress of the 1st Cyprus-Egypt Joint Maritime Committee, which convened in Limassol last October.
The Cypriot Deputy Minister also met with Jordan's Minister of Transport, Prof. Nidhal M. Al-Qatamin, and Prof. Ismail Abdel Ghafar Ismail Farag, President of the Arab Academy.