Nicos Anastasiades News

Greece urged the European Union on Wednesday to reconsider its customs union with Turkey in response to Ankara's continued gas exploration in contested Mediterranean areas, deploring what it termed Ankara's "imperial fantasies."After meeting Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Nicosia, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said they all agreed that Ankara is "blatantly" violating international law."Turkey's leadership has fantasies of imperial behavior with aggressive behavior from Syria to Libya, Somalia to Cyprus, from the Aegean to the Caucus," he said.The EU should also take note of Turkey's 'many violations' of the EU-Turkey customs union accord…

Cyprus is ready to engage in talks with Turkey to resolve differences but only "without blackmail and threats", President Nicos Anastasiades said on Wednesday.The two countries are locked in a dispute over drilling rights in the Mediterranean, and Turkey said on Tuesday it had extended a drilling vessel's operations in disputed waters off Cyprus until Oct. 12."Nicosia has been always ready for a dialogue but for that ... to be effective, it needs to be clearly defined based on international law…

Vassilios Demetriades has been appointed as Cyprus' new Shipping Deputy Minister, the country's president Nicos Anastasiades announced as part of a cabinet reshuffle. The seasoned maritime policy expert, known for his extensive work within the shipping industry and contributions to the European Union (EU), joins the Cyprus Shipping Deputy Ministry effective July 10.Since the ministry's inception in March 2018, the Cyprus flag has grown to become the 11th largest merchant fleet worldwide and the third largest fleet in the European Union.

Natasa Pilides, Cyprus Deputy Minister of Shipping, has held this newly created political post for only three months, but already she has big plans to facilitate the growth of her country’s stature in world maritime circles. In Athens at Posidonia we sat with Pilides to discuss her plans for the development of Cyprus’ blue economy.While dubbed “deputy” minister, make no mistake that Natasa Pilides is in charge, reporting directly to Nicos Anastasiades, the president of Cyprus who asked her to take on the challenge.

The Cyprus shipping sector continues to make news, as Dr. Heinrich Schulte, the chairman of the Schulte Group, underlined his long-term commitment to the Cypriot shipping industry when he met with H.E. Mr. Nicos Anastasiades, the President of the Republic of Cyprus, at the Presidential Palace in Nicosia, on June 11, 2018. Earlier this month MarineLink.com interviewed Natasa Pilides, Cyprus Deputy Minister of Shipping, on the sidelines of the Posidonia exhibition in Athens, Greece…

The new cruise passenger terminal at DP World Limassol was inaugurated today by Cyprus President, His Excellency Mr. Nicos Anastasiades; Minister of Transport, Communications and Works, Mrs. Vassiliki Anastassiadou; the Mayor of Limassol, Nicos Nicolaides and DP World Group Chairman and CEO, Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem. The operational opening of the terminal was attended by almost 300 guests and will enable the largest cruise ships in the world to visit the country for the first time. It provides world-class facilities and services for passengers and features seven pods with a total floor area of 8,205 m2. The terminal is designed to facilitate both Transit (day call) and Turnaround (home porting) services.

Cyprus’ President, Nicos Anastasiades, visited International Maritime Organization (IMO) Headquarters, London, yesterday (18 April), touring the building, meeting senior staff and exchanging ideas about the future of shipping.   The President was received by IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim, who expressed his appreciation for Cyprus’ involvement in IMO’s work as a Member State of the Organization, and looked forward to further cooperation in the future.   Cyprus is a long-standing IMO Member State, having joined the Organization in 1973.

Cyprus accused Turkey on Friday of threatening to use force against a drillship chartered by Italy's Eni, in a standoff over hydrocarbons rights in the eastern Mediterranean. There was no immediate reaction from Turkey, which has vowed to prevent Greek Cypriots from exploring for oil or gas around the ethnically-split island and says some areas of Cyprus's offshore maritime zone fall under its jurisdiction. On Feb. 9, the Turkish navy on manoeuvres in the Mediterranean stopped the Saipem 12000 vessel on its way to drill for gas in the waters off Cyprus, triggering a diplomatic standoff which has underscored tensions in the region over competing claims for offshore resources.

Cyprus on Sunday accused the Turkish military of obstructing a ship contracted by Italian oil company Eni from approaching an area to explore for natural gas, highlighting tensions over offshore resources in the east Mediterranean. A spokesman for Eni said on Sunday the Saipem 12000 drill ship had been heading from a location southwest of Cyprus towards an area southeast of the island on Friday when it was stopped by Turkish military ships and told not to continue because of military activities in the destination area. Turkey, which does not have diplomatic relations with Cyprus, claims that certain areas in Cyprus's offshore maritime zone, known as an EEZ, fall into the jurisdiction of Turkey or that of Turkish Cypriots.

The European Union on Monday called on Turkey to avoid threats and "refrain from any actions that might damage good neighbourly" ties after Cyprus, a member of the bloc, accused the Turkish military of obstructing a ship exploring for gas. Cyprus is one of several states, also including Israel and Lebanon, racing to tap gas deposits in the eastern Mediterranean. Greek Cypriots run Cyprus's internationally recognised government, while Turkish Cypriots have a breakaway state in the north - recognised only by Ankara - and say resources around the island belong to them too. Cyprus said on Sunday the Turkish military had obstructed a vessel contracted by Italian oil company Eni which was approaching an area to explore for natural gas.

Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades has said that building an LNG terminal in Cyprus will depend on discoveries and the results of the country’s third licensing round. Discussing the Cyprus Exclusive Economic Zone’s third licensing round, Anastasiades said that the construction of an LNG terminal in Cyprus - and Cyrpus’ consequent conversion into an energy hub – would rely upon the results of ongoing research programmes or new licenses. As for the new licences mentioned, Anastasiades referred to the third offshore licensing round for hydrocarbon exploration the country launched on March 24, 2016. Three blocks are open for licensing, with the application deadline set for July 22, 2016.

Cypriot president Nicos Anastasiades has expressed his government’s determination to protect and further develop the shipping sector as per report in Financial Mirror. The industry employs 4,500 people on the island and Cyprus-based shipmanagement companies manage about 20% of the world’s third-party fleet. The industry currently contributes 7% to the island’s GDP, and with the launch of a new maritime strategy, Anastasiades believes maritime will “contribute significantly”, saying that he is devoted to “safeguarding the sector”. President Anastasiades added that despite the international adverse economic conditions and the financial difficulties that our country faces in the last years…

Cyprus shipping sector has evolved in the recent years as one of the leading sectors of the economy and “navigates” Cyprus to economic recovery, President of the Republic Nicos Anastasiades stressed says a report by CNA. President Anastasiades expressed the government's appreciation to all participants for their continuous support and the trust they place on Cyprus Shipping and its Flag throughout the years and for contributing towards the 'impressive development of the Cyprus Shipping Industry'. He added that despite the international adverse economic conditions and the financial difficulties that Cyprus faces in the last years, the Cyprus shipping sector managed to maintain its competitiveness and perspectives as a result of combined efforts from the public and private sectors.

The government of Cyprus will support and bolster growth of the country’s maritime sector, Marios Demetriades, minister of transport, communications and works, said, reports In-Cyprus. “I would like to assure you that the Cyprus government is fully committed to safeguarding the shipping and maritime sector by doing the utmost to guarantee continuous sustainable growth,” Demetriades said. “Our shipping industry has been one of Cyprus’s most successful export services and constitutes a valuable asset,” he said. The industry currently contributes 7% to the island's GDP, and with the launch of a new maritime strategy, Anastasiades believes maritime will "contribute significantly", saying that he is devoted to "safeguarding the sector".

Greece will launch consultations with Egypt and Cyprus to establish maritime boundaries in the eastern Mediterranean, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said on Wednesday. Tsipras, who was visiting Cyprus, said those boundaries - which are normally a precursor to a state licensing for offshore oil and gas exploration - would be defined in areas where consent of "third countries" was not required. Turkey and Greece have been at loggerheads for decades over land, air, sea and sea-floor borders in parts of the Aegean sea. Cyprus, which was split in a Turkish invasion in 1974 after a brief Greek inspired coup, found gas offshore in 2011, in a move which has also been challenged by Ankara.

Cyprus is pushing ahead with the privatisation of its ports as part of the nation’s rehabilitation plans which will see a number of state-run entities turned over to the private sector. The Council of Ministers approved amendments to the legal framework governing the operation of the Cyprus Ports Authority. The legislative plan is now set to be handed to parliament where MPs will be tasked with reviewing the bill at committee level before passing it through for a vote. The plan reportedly outlines that the overall operations of the ports should be take on by a private company although the actual bricks and mortar of ports will still be under the umbrella of the Cyprus Ports Authority.

Cyprus President  Nicos Anastasiades reiterated his Government’s strong support towards the shipping industry and determination to introduce those mechanisms necessary to further enhance it. “I understand from Minister Demetriades that the study is nearing completion and I am, therefore, eager to learn about its findings and see a well-structured `Shipping Strategy` being designed, in order to take Cyprus Shipping into the future” he added. Nicos said he was grateful to the shipping industry, which had managed to help support the economy through the crisis. The sector had managed to escape the brunt “through fully utilizing the comparative advantages Cyprus offers to the shipping industry”.

Egypt, facing its worst power crisis in decades, on Saturday pledged greater energy cooperation with Greece and Cyprus, a diplomatic move that opened up the possibility of progress in talks to import natural gas from Cyprus. The meeting in Cairo between Anastasiades, Egyptian President Abdelfattah al-Sisi and Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras demonstrated deepening ties between the three states, who are challenging Turkey's efforts to chart gas deposits in areas of the east Mediterrean claimed by Cyprus. The emerging alliance fits Egypt's interests well. Its relations with Turkey quickly soured last year after Sisi toppled President Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamist movement supported by Turkey's government. Egypt badly needs natural gas imports.

The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) – the principal global trade association for shipowners representing over 80% of the world merchant fleet – met in Limassol, Cyprus last week for its Annual General Meeting (AGM). The meeting was hosted by the Cyprus Shipping Chamber in its 25th anniversary year, and commenced with a gala dinner hosted by the President of the Republic of Cyprus, His Excellency Nicos Anastasiades, at the Presidential Palace in Nicosia. Representatives of ICS member national shipowners’ associations…