Address by the President of the Republic, Mr N.
Anastasiades,
at the Annual General Meeting of the Cyprus Shipping
Chamber
It is a great pleasure and honour for me to be again with you and to
address the 26th Annual General Meeting of the Cyprus Shipping Chamber.
First and above all, I would like to stress that my presence today,
once more, manifests the importance that the Government places on one of the
main pillars of the development of Cyprus economy, its shipping industry, and I
wish to assure you that the close cooperation between the Government and the
private shipping sector will not only continue, but will be further enhanced. At
the same time, I feel obliged to express my sincere appreciation and gratitude
to all of you, who, as leading shipping entrepreneurs, continue to trust and
support Cyprus its shipping industry.
The Cyprus Shipping Chamber has been successfully serving Cyprus
shipping since its establishment back in 1989 and it should feel proud for
setting up a very important professional organisation, with direct and active
participation in all aspects of Cyprus Shipping. This is all the more
applicable, since we should bear in mind that Cyprus and its shipping industry
needs to adopt modern and flexible approaches so as to be able to adapt to the
competitive international shipping environment.
As such, the Chamber’s involvement in the formulation of the
Government’s maritime policy and its overall cooperation and contribution
towards the continuous growth of the Cyprus Registry and of the local shipping
industry is significant and much appreciated.
In this respect, the Minister of Communications and Works
commissioned a study for the “Future of Shipping in Cyprus” and established a
steering committee to guide the process, led by the Department of Merchant
Shipping and consisting of representatives of the local private shipping
industry, the Cyprus Investment Promotion Agency, and with the Cyprus Shipping
Chamber being an invaluable partner to this study with a very important and
commendable contribution. The overall objective of the study is to develop a
comprehensive Strategic Development Plan for the Cyprus Shipping Industry. The
study has been very recently concluded and proposes strategic policies that
would strengthen the Cyprus Merchant Fleet and the Cyprus Maritime Cluster,
having as a guideline the short and long term benefits to the Cyprus
Economy.
Further, the discovery of hydrocarbons in our Exclusive Economic Zone
(EEZ) creates new challenges and opportunities to our shipping industry to
further evolve and widen its horizons, creating relevant synergies. New and
vibrant shipping and energy projects can be launched and the relevant government
policies will definitely include this new exciting perspective in mind, when
being developed.
Nonetheless, we should not forget that shipping is an international
activity and the free movement of goods and raw materials worldwide is essential
for the economic development of any country. In this respect, the lifting of the
illegal Turkish restrictive measures against Cyprus shipping, in force since
1987, would certainly have a positive economic and political impact and I want
to stress that my Government will continue its efforts towards the lifting of
the Turkish embargo, which will lead to great growth prospects of the Cyprus
Registry and consequently, the growth of Cyprus Shipping in general.
At this point and before concluding, taking also into account the
linkage between economic progress and its impact on the shipping industry, I
consider it pertinent to inform you on some latest developments as regards the
economy of Cyprus.
As a result of the hard work by everybody and the consistency in
implementing the obligations we have undertaken under well-known conditions, not
only did we manage to disprove the assessments and predictions referring to a
total collapse of the economy, but at the same time we have succeeded to restore
the international credibility of our country, to stabilize our banking system
and we are now in a course of recovery and exit from the country’s economic
adjustment programme.
With determination, we took particularly difficult decisions and we
implemented a very difficult, but necessary, program, without overlooking the
social role of the state. It is for these exact reasons, that today, during a
Press conference I held, I announced that, as of this coming Monday, there will
be a final and comprehensive lifting of the restrictions in capital transfer.
I have no doubt that the lifting of the last restrictions marks the
final restoration of trust in our banking system and the positive perspective
for raising investments in conditions of full trust and credibility is being
reinforced, as is the capability of the banks to raise capitals and safely fund
the economy, thus, having a positive impact as regards the support of the
citizens, businesses and growth.
At the same time, I announced a series of measures to be implemented
that would positively contribute to our efforts of achieving growth, such as,
amongst others, additional development projects through the State Budget,
extension of programs of the European Investment Bank (EIB), measures for the
unemployed and extension of the period for providing town planning
incentives.
The prominent and leading role that Cyprus shipping enjoys today in
the international shipping scene is something that we should all be proud of.
The accumulated know-how, the experience and the high level of professionalism
in our island´s shipping industry, in combination with the Government´s maritime
policy and support, will definitely lead Cyprus shipping to even greater
accomplishments.
Once more, I would like to reiterate that the sustainable growth of
Cyprus Shipping is one of the priorities of the Cyprus Government and,
consequently, I would like to make clear to our friends and collaborators in the
shipping industry that the Government, through the Ministry of Communications
and Works and the Department of Merchant Shipping, and in close collaboration
with the private shipping sector, will do its utmost to further enhance the
competitiveness of our flag and of our maritime cluster.
Yet again, I express my sincere appreciation for the Cyprus Shipping
Chamber’s endeavours and contribution to Cyprus shipping and I wish every
success in the deliberations of your Annual General Meeting.
