Italy joins Cyprus, Greece and Malta in Limassol shipping talks
Italy will join Cyprus, Greece and Malta in Limassol for talks on European shipping competitiveness and decarbonisation.
Limassol, Cyprus. Italy will join Cyprus, Greece and Malta for the first time on Wednesday in a ministerial meeting on the competitiveness and decarbonisation of European shipping.
The 3+1 meeting will bring together the four Mediterranean shipping states as the cooperation framework holds its ninth meeting and its first in Cyprus since 2018.
Ministerial meeting
The meeting will begin at 9.30am at the Parklane Hotel and is expected to continue until 12.30pm, according to the Shipping Deputy Ministry. Statements to the press are scheduled for around noon.
Participants will include Cyprus Shipping Deputy Minister Marina Hadjimanolis, Greek Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy Minister Vassilis Kikilias, Malta’s Chris Bonett and Italy’s Deputy Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Edoardo Rixi.
Expanded cooperation framework
The meeting formally expands a cooperation format previously involving Cyprus, Greece and Malta, three EU member states with strong interests in maritime transport.
Italy’s participation follows closer coordination among the four countries earlier this year. Hadjimanolis met Kikilias, Bonett and Rixi in Rome in June on the sidelines of an international shipping summit, where they discussed common maritime priorities.
The Rome meeting took place during the International Chamber of Shipping’s Shaping the Future of Shipping summit, which included discussions involving governments and the international shipping industry on decarbonisation, maritime security and resilient supply chains.
Hadjimanolis subsequently said Italy’s inclusion resulted from efforts to broaden Cyprus’ maritime alliances, noting that shipping challenges increasingly require closer coordination and common approaches.
Competitiveness and emissions
The Limassol talks will focus on balancing the reduction of shipping emissions with the need to maintain the international competitiveness of European operators and ports.
The issue has gained added significance following the European Commission’s adoption in March of its Industrial Maritime Strategy, aimed at strengthening the competitiveness, innovation and technological position of Europe’s shipping and maritime manufacturing industries.
The previous meeting between Cyprus, Greece and Malta was held in Greece in 2023.
This news item was generated automatically by Cyprus Inform from publicly available materials. Report an error →